A NEW leader of Hart District Council has been appointed following the shock resignation of Councillor Ken Crookes.

Cllr Stephen Parker, the former deputy leader, was confirmed in the top role at the full council meeting last Thursday.

He replaces Cllr Crookes, who stood down over the council’s decision to test Winchfield as a site for thousands of new homes, after six years’ service as leader.

Cllr Crookes had failed to gain support for a proposal to remove Winchfield from a preferred housing strategy plan at a meeting in November.

His proposal was voted down comprehensively, and members of his own Conservative group criticised him for making the proposal four hours into the meeting.

Hart is looking at Winchfield as a potential site for about 5,000 new homes – a development that could help pay for a new secondary school.

Some villagers fear the plan would destroy the character of the village, and the plan is opposed by both Winchfield and Hartley Wintney parish councils.

Hart is not controlled by one particular party. Representatives from the main parties – the Conservatives, Community Campaign Hart and the Liberal Democrats – met after Cllr Crookes’ resignation on Friday, November 29, to discuss who should be the new leader, and Cllr Parker emerged as the leader-in-waiting.

Cllr Parker, Conservative member for Fleet East, will keep his portfolio as Cabinet member for planning, the full council meeting heard. He will remain as leader until the elections in May next year, when a third of members will be up for re-election.

He told The Gazette: “I will be leader until May, when we will have elections, and the results will dictate what happens after that.

“If I have support, I would very much like to carry on but if not, so be it. We have some very important issues to get sorted out, in particular the Local Plan.”

Cllr David Neighbour, Liberal Democrat member for Yateley East, has been confirmed as the deputy leader of the council.

Cllr Crookes has said that he will continue to represent his Odiham ward for the remaining three years of his term.