A HAMPSHIRE county council cabinet member is to resign from his role after a controversial planning application about his countryside home.

Residents said they had “lost trust” in their Hampshire county councillor Andrew Gibson, following a declaration to Test Valley Borough Council (TVBC) in the application where he admits breaching agricultural conditions on Test Valley Farm, Chilbolton, for 10 years.

Cllr Gibson, who is also Hampshire County Council’s (HCC) cabinet member for culture, recreation and countryside, has submitted a plan to regularise this breach by lifting the current restrictions.

These include only a person working or mainly working in agriculture, forestry, equestrian activities, or resident dependants on such a person can live on the Little Drove Road farm.

Following pressure and questions over his integrity as countryside portfolio holder, Cllr Gibson is expected to officially announce his resignation from the role to a full council meeting this morning, though he will continue as a councillor.

Station Road resident Liz Blakemore said: “Given that Cllr Gibson admitted breaching the planning conditions attached to his properties over many years, It was not surprising he lost the confidence and trust of many of the residents he represented. As a consequence, resigning was the right thing for him to do.

“Despite his resignation and unless TVBC planners reject it out of hand, it is hoped his planning application is heard publicly.

“This would ensure a level of transparency that hitherto has been lacking and allow residents the opportunity to voice their objections.”

Neighbours also said this is the second breach at Cllr Gibson’s farm, where he built an annex without planning permission until it was granted retrospective consent in 2012.

Another resident, who wished not to be named, said: “That is pathetic, that is not a resignation at all. I’ve said right from the off I have no axe to grind with him just anybody who is an elected official should meet minimum requirements of honesty, trust and integrity.

“3,719 people voted for him – were they voting for someone who ducks and dives around the planning regulations? He’s done it twice. He’s somebody we were supposed to be able to trust.”

A total of 15 objections, including from Chilbolton Parish Council have been made online, and residents are calling for the plan to be heard at TVBC’s planning committee.

Davenham Drove Road resident Sue Curtis added: “It cannot be right to break the rules, then ask for the rules to be removed because you broke them, two wrongs do not make a right.

“Cllr Gibson’s resignation is the right decision, removal of the property conditions is not and if his application for this stands then it should definitely be decided by the Northern Area Planning Committee.

“If the planning department agree to this application then in my eyes they would be endorsing Cllr Gibson’s actions, along with encouraging the breaching of planning conditions by all."

TVBC said its enforcement team investigated the matter in 2006 when Cllr Gibson first bought the farm, however based on information gathered at the time officers found no evidence of a breach.

In Cllr Gibson’s declaration, he confirmed he was in senior management at British Telecommunications from 1986 to 2015, and never employed in agriculture.

The council also could not confirm whether the application would be heard at its planning committee while investigations are ongoing.

Other than to confirm his intention to submit his resignation as a cabinet member, Cllr Gibson wished not to comment.