STALWART Droitwich Spa town and district councillor Pete Pinfield is stepping down at the upcoming election, after 34 years of service to the town.

The Labour councillor, who has also spent time as a county councillor has chosen to step down ahead of next month’s elections, to concentrate on his work for the independent health watchdog Healthwatch Worcestershire.

He said: “My responsibilities in setting up Healthwatch, which I am finding both locally and nationally is taking more and more time up and, because of its independent role, it is proper I also relinquish my political status, and when I was appointed I gave that assurance.”

Coun Pinfield has represented the Droitwich West ward since 1979 variously at county, district and town level, with a gap of only two years.

He held the position of joint leader of Worcester County Council , chairman of social services at Worcestershire County Council, leader of Droitwich Spa Town Council, chairman of the Droitwich Development Committee, and champion for older people.

As part of his position he worked on the £9million partnership plan to restore Droitwich's canal network, which created a 22-mile stretch of navigable canal, including Hanbury Wharf on the Worcester-Birmingham Canal and the Hawford stretch of the River Severn, and took more than a decade of campaigning to come to fruition, opening the canals around Droitwich for the first time in 90 years.

He has also worked on a number of local projects including the replacement of flat roofs on council housing in the Westlands estate, the attempts to save the Highfield Hospital, the Vax adventure playground, and road safety measures at the town’s high school which were affectionately termed the ‘Pinfield bumps’.

Coun Pinfield now leads Healthwatch Worcestershire, and sits on a number of NHS organisations representing patients, carers and service users.

He added: “It has been a honour and privilege to represent the people of Droitwich West for all these years, apart from a two year gap when I moved wards and got trounced, so 34 years in public service is not bad. In my own small contribution, working with people, not against them, I felt I have achieved a lot over those years and being that ‘red dot’ in that vast sea of blue has always been interesting.

“Both in and around Droitwich and the county there are a number of projects that I have had the privilege to have been involved in and I hope I leave a sort of legacy that speaks for itself.

“In politics you clearly have differences of opinion, but I have always found if you focus on the democracy and put your community first things work out eventually.

“Can I publicly put on record my thanks to all those I have worked with over the years, for their support and friendship.”