WHITEHILL Town Council has managed to put “political differences” aside over the past year to “work for the good of the town”.

At last Monday’s annual town meeting, town council leader Adam Carew gave attendees a run down of the council’s activities during the past 12 months.

The meeting marked a year since the local elections, which saw the town council’s political make up change almost entirely.

The formerly Liberal Democrat majority was trimmed down when nine new councillors were elected, which Mr Carew said was “almost unprecedented”.

Since then the town council has been made up of eight Conservatives, five Liberal Democrats, and a UKIP representative.

Mr Carew, who himself was voted back onto the council following a previous resignation, said they were “very interesting elections”.

But despite the Tory rule, Mr Carew said that the new administration worked hard to “ensure” they had “cross-party support from day one”.

Testament to this was the decision to have a Liberal Democrat mayor, Sally Pond, whom Mr Carew said had been “absolutely fantastic” during her term.

“The lovely thing is that we’ve all been able to put our political differences aside to work for the good of the town, and I think that is the number one priority,” he added.

With a “£1bn regeneration project on our door step”, being “united” is essential, he said.

“The last thing you want is political divisions,” Mr Carew said. Last year saw the “very sad” departure of the Army, which triggered the Farewell to the Garrison Festival, described at the meeting by East Hampshire District Council’s regeneration project director Steve Pearce as “one of the best events ever” held in Whitehill and Bordon.

“It was a day I will certainly never forget,” Mr Carew said. “I think you will agree, we gave them the send off they deserve.”

There was also an overview, for residents left bewildered by the sometimes colourful and confusing world of local government, of exactly what it is that the town council does.

Mr Carew stressed that while the town council did not own “huge things”, like Petersfield Town Council’s Festival Hall or Alton Town Council’s Assembly Rooms, it still did “an awful lot”.

This includes running nature reserves, recreation grounds, parkland, allotments, play areas, football pitches, a new BMX track, ponds, open spaces, bus shelters, benches, planters and other amenities throughout Whitehill and Bordon.

Other key points over the past year included significant renovation to the Firgrove and Sutton Field play areas, ongoing improvements to Hollybrook Pond, and part funding the Garrison Pool to keep it open for public use.

The town council has also been consulted on all major development applications in the town and has managed to change “a lot of the plans behind the scenes”.

On April 27, the town council formally took over the management of Bordon Inclosure, near Quebec Park on Camp Road.

“What was a very dark, foreboding wet wood is now a wonderful place for wildlife,” Mr Carew said.

The town council has also awarded £54,000 of taxpayers’ money in grants to “keep our vital community organisations going”, such as the Citizens Advice and The Phoenix Theatre.

As mayor and leader respectively, Ms Pond and Mr Carew have had “a very busy year” with a number of events and visits.

One high point for the leader was joining housing minister Brandon Lewis for a tour of Quebec and Louisburg barracks.

Mr Carew also echoed some concerns, such as the ongoing consultation on changes to the county’s early help services which has penciled Bordon’s Chase Children’s Centre for closure, recommending parents travel to Bushy Leaze in Alton.

“I do not think it’s reasonable for people from this community to have to go all the way to Alton with their children, just to benefit from the service,” Mr Carew explained.

The ongoing, but stifled, regeneration of Chase Hospital has left some councillors “thoroughly depressed by the lack of progress by the NHS”.

But Mr Carew said a saving grace was the district council’s plans for a “health campus” in the new town centre, which the council is “absolutely adamant” about delivering.

To close the presentation he extended a “huge thanks” to all members of council staff for their hard work and support.