Less discord and more positive work for residents is high on the agenda for new chairman of Alresford Town Council, Simon Cook.

He has succeeded George Hollingbery, who was thanked for his work in "often-combative circumstances".

Mr Cook said he hoped that, in the next year, the council could achieve a conclusion to the town office project, produce a draft town plan and make a final decision on skateboarding.

He said he also hoped to make progress on obtaining extra sports fields, implement the new codes of conduct and, "above all, work without inter-councillor discord".

Mr Cook added: "To this end, I will start the process by talking with all my fellow councillors during the next two weeks or so, seeking your ideas on what we should be trying to achieve during the next year and how we should achieve it.

He said it was his intention to try to work as an inclusive team and make the last year of the present town council a constructive one.

Mr Hollingbery had threatened to resign over his warring colleagues but he said he had received a number of letters and phone calls from residents urging him to stay on.

"I have been approached by really quite large numbers of people saying the council needed someone to act as mediator," he said.

"Arguments have been presented to me from all corners that it would be an empty gesture that would achieve very little and cost the town money in having a new election, and that would not be a sensible thing to do."