CLENT’S long-serving parish council chairman handed over the helm to his successor on Monday after being beaten to the ballot box in the parish election.

Ed Sheppard, who has been chairman of Clent Parish Council for the last eight years, officially handed over duties to newly-elected chairman Nick Sugden at Monday’s meeting at the parish hall on March 16.

Mr Sheppard and seven of his parish council colleagues were ousted in the parish election on May 5 following a campaign by community-minded villagers leading a campaign for change.

But he said afterwards: “I wish them well.

“It’s a shame for the parish because now you’ve got eight new councillors who have never stood for council before and have zero knowledge of the running of the council.

“But they’ve got a excellent clerk in Ruth Mullett who can carry them through. There’s so many rules and regulations and they’re going to need her full support.”

He told the News he hoped the new council would see through the building of a proposed multi-use sports facility in the village for which plans have been drawn up and finances put in place.

And he added: “There’s a lot we have done and I hope they carry on the work and do as much as the old council have done.”

The only stalwart councillor remaining on the council is Margaret Sherrey, also a district councillor for the Clent and Belbroughton area (Furlongs ward) on Bromsgrove District Council.