For the first time in 25 years, there will be a new leader at Fareham Borough Council. 

Simon Martin, ward councillor for Park Gate since 2016, was confirmed as the new executive leader of Fareham Borough Council after Sean Woodward stepped down from the political arena after 38 years, 25 of those as leader.

Councillor Martin, who has been deputy leader for the last three years, was made leader of the Fareham Conservatives group last week after the elections on May 2, a post also vacated by Cllr Woodward.

While more than 500 Conservative councillors lost their seats across England, the party kept control of the borough council despite the Liberal Democrats picking up four seats and Labour one.

Cllr Martin said: “It [the election] wasn’t a close call in the end, we got 22 seats as opposed to 10. We defied the odds because of the quality of the candidates and the work we are doing locally.”

“We have a clear strategy for the borough and we will start the implementation of that going forward.”

People voted for the Fareham Conservative group to stay because they have a good story to tell locally just by looking at what they have done, he said.

“We have a great track record locally, we keep the council tax reasonably low, we haven’t cut any services,” he added. 

“We’ve got Daedalus which is developed as a sort of major employment centre. Welborne is going through the construction period. 

“We are trying to tackle the issue of the town centre and develop a regeneration strategy for the whole of Fareham town centre.

“We have Fareham Live, and are trying to put in place a great facility for people to use. We do interact with residents four times a year and think we are present. We are out there talking to people and dealing with the issues that come through.”

Cllr Martin said his party had focused on canvassing the marginal wards in the borough.

Having come second in his ward of Park Gate with 948 votes to fellow Conservative councillor Ian Bastable who secured 957 votes, he wins a two-year term as a council member before he has to stand for re-election again.

Cllr Martin has worked in and lived in Fareham since 1985 and had a career in environmental and waste management.

He said: “I am now partly retired but still working as a consultant and will now be focusing on Fareham Borough Council.”