Councillors have voted against a motion aimed at attracting Hong Kong residents to Test Valley. A motion was brought by Cllr David Coole that would have mandated Test Valley Borough Council (TVBC) to write to the Home Office and Foreign Office to invite residents of the former British colony to the area. The move follows national announcements that former residents of the colony with a British National (Overseas) Passport are being given a path to citizenship in the UK, following the imposition of national security legislation that critics say is eroding Hong Kong’s freedoms. Cllr Coole said that it was “a multicultural and economic opportunity for Test Valley”, while others described it as a “pointless motion”.