John Anderson has stepped down as chairman of Hambledon Parish Council and will leave at the end of the month. He has been a member for 38 years and has chaired the council for the last 17.

This makes him the third longest serving member since the council was formed in 1884, overtaking Ron Vickery who retired in 2011 after 35 years.

John will be replaced by Stewart Payne, his current deputy, with Mary Grove taking on the deputy role. He congratulated them both and said he was confident they will do a good job. But they have a tough act to follow!

John made his announcement at the council’s AGM last night (May 4^th) when the election of chairman and vice chairman for 2021/22 was considered as the first item on the agenda.

John told his colleagues: “My year as Chairman comes to an end today, May 4^th 2021.  I have decided to resign from the Parish Council as a Councillor, effective May 31^st 2021.

It is time for a change, and, somehow, I am getting even busier at home and in business.

I have been honoured and privileged to be elected to and to serve on the Parish Council, as Councillor since 1983, and as Chairman since 2004.  My sincere thanks to all the Councillors on Hambledon Parish Council and Waverley Borough Council and to all the Parish Clerks over these 38 years. I have enjoyed working with you all.  I shall miss the challenge, but mostly I shall miss the people, whose help and support have been invaluable.

I wish my fellow Councillors well, and I know Hambledon is in good hands.

Thank you all, but I must also say thank you to my wife, Tucker, for her help and support and, mostly, her understanding over all these years.”

He indicated he would support Stewart Payne, a councillor since 2001, as his replacement. This was proposed by Robin McKeith, seconded by Mary Grove and unanimously agreed. Stewart proposed Mary as his deputy and this was also unanimously agreed.

Stewart thanked John for his many years of service to the parish council and to Hambledon, and for the professionalism and dedication he has brought to the role.

John joined the council in May 1983, when Mrs Elizabeth Maclay was the chair, later becoming vice chairman under the leadership of Ion Campbell and then taking over when Ion stood down in May 2004. His first clerk was Paul Vacher, followed by Jane Woolley.

John said he regretted his final meeting had to be conducted on Zoom rather than taking place in the Village Hall, due to Coronavirus restrictions. “My first meeting was in the village hall and I would have liked to have been there for my last,” he said.

All current councillors – Stewart, Mary, Philip Underwood, Sean Sinnott, Robin McKeith and Alison Scott-Bishop, together with clerk Julie Flenley – were present and they joined Stewart in thanking John for his outstanding service and wishing him well.

Philip, a previous vice chairman, is now the longest-serving current parish councillor, with 34 years of service, having joined in April 1987.

The formal process of finding a replacement councillor will begin next month. Waverley Borough Council will announce that a casual vacancy has arisen and unless 10 parish electors request an election, the position will be filled by co-option. Full parish council elections do not take place until May 2023.