Councillors have objected to plans to demolish garages in Bilbao Court and replace them with flats over concerns it will exacerbate parking issues in the local area. Andover Town’s Council lodged an objection to the proposals at a meeting of its Planning Committee on Monday, March 10, where they were addressed by the planning agent behind the housing scheme. If approved, nine flats would be built on the site of 40 vacant garages, which are currently unoccupied due to being too small for modern cars. Speaking at the meeting, Councillor Barbara Long raised concerns that the plans would not have “sufficient parking for the new flats and existing flats,” and of the suggestion existing residents could use lay-bys on Vigo Road.
Test Valley Borough Councillors have approved plans to vote through a £2.50 council tax rise despite an attempt to reduce it to the rate of inflation. Councillors were asked to approve the decision of the Cabinet to see council tax rise this year, as well as a £1 fall in the Andover Special Expenses Levy. Liberal Democrat councillors introduced an amendment to limit the rise to the rate of inflation, 0.7 per cent, which would have seen an increase of £1.02. However, following debate, councillors voted broadly along party lines, with the Conservatives and Andover Independents Party voting against the amendment. The council tax rise was subsequently approved.
Test Valley residents will see their council tax increase by £2.50 in the next year – with Andover residents seeing a rise of £1 less than the rest. The cabinet of Test Valley Borough Council (TVBC) voted to approve an increase in their council tax from £146.41 to £148.91 for a Band E property for the next year. They also approved a decrease in the Andover Special Expenses Levy, which pays for the maintenance of community assets such as cemeteries and sports grounds, by £1 after removing charges for community halls from the levy. Councillor Maureen Flood said that it had been an “incredibly challenging” year for the council, and that the rise would allow them to protect core services. She said that TVBC had ‘cushioned’ the blow by using its reserves to allow a lower council tax increase.
Councillors have narrowly approved the appointment of an officer to serve Andover’s youth and communities. A motion had been put forward by Councillor Jason Sangster and Cllr Richard Rowles to appoint a youth and community development officer “to work with local communities in Andover to identify local needs and develop strategic responses to these needs”. A vote on the motion was tied, with Cllr Rowles subsequently using his casting vote to pass the motion, with a contract for the role to be decided on at a later date. The motion was proposed at a meeting of the full council on Tuesday, January 26, for the role to have a salary of £35,000 as well as a budget for the position. It was amended by Cllrs Sangster and Rowles to specify that the role would be for a contractor rather than a full member of staff.
In its response, Highways England indicated that it had yet to be approached about the scheme but said that it was aware of the Home Office’s proposal. Cllr North said that the immigration minister, Chris Philip, had confirmed that the Home Office would now be “seeking specialist advice” regarding concerns over the nearby A303, as well as habitats directives, such as those on nitrogen neutrality, which apply to Test Valley. Cllr North said: “It seems that our persistent correspondence with the Immigration Minister, Chris Philp is starting to pay off. “He has confirmed that the Home Office is now seeking specialist advice on the two matters of major concern that Caroline and I raised with him at the very beginning, namely highways and habitats regulations. At a multi-agency forum last week, Home Office officials stated that this would take between 10 and 12 weeks. They also confirmed a final decision wouldn t be taken before that advice is received.