A HARD-WORKING parish councillor is handing over the reins after nine years of fighting residents’ interests as chairman.

Councillor John Ferguson, who has been a Bramley parish councillor since 1996 and became chairman four years later, is resigning from the chairmanship at the council’s May meeting.

However, he will remain a councillor and decide at the next elections in 2012 if he wishes to continue.

Cllr Ferguson, 80, said: “I’ve enjoyed it enormously and have had a tremendous amount of support. Getting involved with planning and highways has been most interesting.

“I’ve had some biggies as chairman, like traffic-calming along the main road. I just sometimes wish we could get a bit of return for accepting 1,000 new houses over the last 10 years.”

The industrious chairman, of Jibbs Meadow, Bramley, worked for the Guinness brewery in Manchester and London, before moving to Bramley in 1993, and has four children and four grandchildren.

Two sons are in New Zealand, one son is in Pangbourne and a daughter is in Wales.

Cllr Ferguson, who has been involved in several clubs and organisations, including the Clift Meadow Trust and the Monk Sherborne and District Horticultural Society, said: “I had a heart attack last year and my family have been nagging me for a long time to stop, and I think it’s time to listen to them.”

Gill Fowler, clerk of Bramley Parish Council, said: “John has worked tirelessly for the residents of Bramley and I don’t think people realise the amount of work he does.”

Cllr Hugh Tottenham, a parish councillor and Trustee of Clift Meadow, said: “John’s sense of public service is second to none, he has put in a lot of years and a great deal of hard work, even when in poor health.”

Cllr Ferguson will supervise the election of a new chairman at the beginning of the meeting of Bramley Parish Council, due to be held on May 18.