After 18 years of public service, John Thompson has formally stepped down from Eden District Council.
As member of the Conservative Group, Councillor Thompson was first elected to the Penrith west ward in 2003.
Throughout his time at the council, Coun Thompson served on a number of committees, boards and panels, including the Resources, Environment, Accounts & Governance and Planning committees, the Scrutiny Co-ordinating Board and the Housing & Community and the Environmental & Economy panels.
Coun Thompson went on to become chairman of the Performance Panel in 2008, the Planning Committee in 2011 and the Human Resources & Appeals Committee in 2015.
In 2008, Coun Thompson also became the council’s representative on the Lake District National Park Authority.
In 2012, Coun Thompson was elected as vice chairman of the council, becoming chairman the following year, a position he held until 2015.
More recently, Coun Thompson was the council’s representative on the Cumbria Local Nature Partnership and also served as the council’s Armed Forces Champion, a role that was particularly close to his heart.
Eden District Council’s interim chief executive, Jason Gooding, said: “As a tireless representative for his Penrith west ward and a vocal advocate for the people of Eden, including our military veterans, Coun Thompson will be greatly missed at Eden District Council by members and officers alike.
“We thank him for his dedication to public service over many years and in particular for the active and important role he has played across an impressive range of roles, for a number of organisations in Eden, the Lake District and Cumbria.”
