HAMPSHIRE town has named a new development after a clergyman who played an important role in the community.

Stevenson Court, a new housing development of 16 one-bedroomed flats in Fareham has been dedicated to the late Bishop Kenneth Stevenson who was Bishop of Portsmouth from 1995-2009.

Fareham Borough Council decided to honour Bishop Kenneth by naming the building after him.

The Bishop and his wife Sarah had lived just across the road in Bishopsgrove for 14 years and he played a key part in strengthening ties between the diocese and the council before he died in 2011.

As Bishop he spent much of his time visiting parishes, and encouraged them to engage with the communities in which they live.

Stevenson Court, located in Palmerston Avenue, Fareham, was opened at a dedication ceremony by the Mayor of Fareham, along with members of Bishop Stevenson’s family.

Mayor Cllr Connie Hockley said: “This is a fitting way to honour Bishop Stevenson and pay tribute to the contribution he made to the Borough and the Diocese.

"I’m sure he would be very proud that this impressive accommodation will be enjoyed for years to come by those who need it the most.”

At the dedication, family, friends and councillors swapped stories of Kenneth’s larger-than-life nature as they recalled the parties he used to throw and his determination to make a difference in the local community.

“He was a wonderful man, and he would have been touched to have been remembered in this way after these years,” said his widow Sarah.

“He would have been honoured to have been recognised by Fareham Borough Council, and rather amused too.”

In September 2005 he was struck down by acute leukaemia.

This required six months of intensive treatment but he was able to return to work in 2006 before the illness came back returned.

He fought on for three years before retiring as Bishop in 2009 due to continuing ill health.

The new development represents a £1.8m investment by Fareham Borough Council, building on land that was previously a car park.