IF Whitehill’s new mayor David Cooper and his consort and wife, Cynthia, have the chance in the next year, they plan to create a beautiful town - well introduce as much beauty as they can with limited powers and money.

David has experienced a swift climb up the local political ladder, becoming Whitehill and Bordon’s new mayor only three years after he was elected to Whitehill Town Council, representing Hogmoor ward. This was the first time he had ventured into politics at any level.

However, he has witnessed some turbulent times at the council.

He arrived just after the then clerk Trish Bell was jailed for stealing £162,000 of council funds, which meant town councillors needed to do a lot of financial rethinking, as well as retrieve as much of the lost money as they could.

They gradually clawed it back and now the town council’s finances are in good shape.

For full story, see this week’s Bordon Herald.