Hammersmith and Fulham LBC council leader Stephen Greenhalgh has announced his intention to step down from the role after more than five years to pioneer a neighbourhood budget scheme.

Under Cllr Greenhalgh's leadership the London borough won a top Audit Commission ranking, cut council tax five years out of six and halved the council's property portfolio by half in order to help the authority reduce its £176m debts to £78m by 2014.