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EGM fiasco: Cllr Ecclestone to file complaint with authorities Councillor Christopher Ecclestone said he would lodge an official complaint with the Monitoring Officer at Test Valley Borough Council and the Department of Communities and Local Government against the backdrop of EGM fiasco that saw four councillors being excluded from the meeting on Thursday. Cllr Ecclestone called the EGM “a new low in local democracy” and accused the Proper Officer and mayor of excluding him from confidential sessions. Cllr Ecclestone told the Advertiser: “A new low in local democracy was reached a...

An Andover Town councillor has accused Test Valley Borough Council (TVBC) of attempting to “thwart” a new design statement after announcing plans to redraw the conservation area. Last week, Andover Town Council put its design statement for the conservation area, which covers much of the town centre, out for consultation. The borough council subsequently announced its own consultation, which proposes removing certain areas, including George Yard Car Park, the Sainsbury’s branch on Bridge Street, and adding others, such as the Commonwealth War Graves in Andover Cemetery. Good Design...

Andover Town Council is to publish a design statement for the town centre this week following a series of delays and controversies over the plans. The statement, which will outline guidance on how to retain the character of the town centre, will initially focus on Andover’s conservation area, which runs from Andover Cemetery in the north to the South Street roundabout junction. The document will be launched online on Friday, with the public invited to provide feedback on the initial plans. Discussions to shape planning in the town with a document date back many years, with Andover T...

An Extraordinary general meeting of Andover Town Council saw vigorous debate between councillors over whether the outcome of a grievance panel should be heard in secret. The meeting, held on December 15, saw councillors assemble to receive the report on the grievances made by staff at the council, which saw it close for two weeks while a locum was appointed. Following the approval of new dates for council meetings in the new year, councillors debated the exclusion of the press and public to hear confidential staffing matters; a process which is usually a formality which goes undebated. ...

A local political party has appointed ‘champions’ for specific issues in an effort to engage more with these topics. The Andover Independents Party has appointed Councillor Christopher Ecclestone as the ‘Good Design Champion’ and Councillor Rebecca Meyer as ‘Adversity Champion.’ The pair will seek to address these issues at both Andover Town Council and Test Valley Borough Council, of which they are representatives on each. The party said that its leader, Cllr Meyer, was “excited to engage with people who have experienced adversity”. It continued: “She believes it ...