Fareham Borough Council leader Seán Woodward will not seek re-election as he retired from politics

After 25 years as the executive leader of Fareham Borough Council, Councillor Seán Woodward has decided not to seek re-election in the upcoming 2024 local elections. This decision, made after discussions with his family three years ago, marks the culmination of nearly four decades in politics.

He said: “This feels like the right time for me to bow out and take back control of my life.

“This while I am still of an age where I can do some things for myself and my family without being tied to the diary that I have for the last four decades.”

Reflecting on his tenure, he said he’s “immensely proud” of the council’s achievements during his leadership.

These accomplishments include the transformation of Solent Airport at Daedalus after the council assumed ownership in 2015, the refurbishment and expansion of leisure centres, the establishment of Abbey Meadows and Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Park, and the creation of three new community centres in Whiteley, Portchester, and Burridge.

He added that Welborne Garden Village would “never have got off the ground” without the “huge amount of work” the council put in to resolve land and infrastructure funding. He also highlighted Fareham Live, the new entertainment venue currently under construction, which has “literally transformed the skyline of Osborn Road”.

Furthermore, he noted that the council’s recent purchase of Fareham Shopping Centre will provide a “really meaningful regeneration of our town centre”.

Beyond these projects, Woodward said entered politics with a genuine desire to “make a difference” to Fareham, a place he deeply cherishes. He expressed his gratitude to the various groups and organisations he has been able to support, as well as the people who “generously” devote their time to these causes.

He noted that he’s never lost sight of “the most important thing”- serving the residents who elected him in 15 separate elections, in some cases winning 80 per cent of the vote. In closing, Woodward emphasised that there “remains much to do” before his tenure as a councillor ends in May next year, and he pledged to “continue to have my foot flat to the floor as always, pedal to the metal” until then.