Tom McCann backs Litter Campaign

During a tour of Andover to meet local community activists Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate Tom McCann met anti-litter campaigner Manuela Wahnon.



Tom and Manuela discussed her Attitude of Gratitude to clean up Andover and the rest of Test Valley. Manuela’s philosophy is simple “we’ve always got something to be grateful for in our lives, so with that in mind, obviously don't drop litter, but if you pick up one piece of litter a day you can make the world you live in a better place. “



Tom praised her hard work, funded entirely from her own limited resources, as an example of how individuals can and do make a difference to their communities. “As a Liberal Democrat I believe in empowering communities to take responsibility for their surroundings. Manuela is a shining example to all of us”



Tom will be joining Manuela and other Andover residents on a litter pick sometime in the New Year.



Full details of Manuela’s campaign can be found at http://www.attitudeofgratitude.co.uk/

Andover Lib Dems call for improved Bus Services

Andover Lib Dems are backing local calls for a review of bus services in the town. Test Valley Lib Dem leader Len Gates has already condemned Stagecoach’s proposals to reschedule local services in January. “The new routes and timetables represent a cut in services” he said. “Stagecoach has been forced into this position because of lack of funding from the Tory controlled county council.”

Len and St Mary’s councillor Rod Bailey have held discussions with county councillors on the matter and Rod has called for a report on the new services to be brought to the next Andover Forum. Both believe the county and borough council should be looking for ways to increase not cut local services.

Andover’s Lib Dems are also fully behind the campaign to bring Sunday bus services to Andover. Len Gates and parliamentary candidate Tom McCann recently met local campaigner Barbara Carpenter and gave their full support to her petition for Sunday bus services. The petition is available in many shops around town or from len.gates@andover.co.uk.

Speaking after the meeting Tom said “local shops are now open on Sundays and many other events take place in the town centre after the buses have stopped running. The local councils should be looking at ways to encourage people into the town centre. Not everyone has access to a car or wants to use one. A good public transport service is essential to the economy and future of Andover.”

Bandstand - Latest

Despite promises to do so leading Tories have failed to find funding for a replacement bandstand for Andover.

Assurances given at successive Andover forums were forgotten as the council’s cabinet voted to allocate cabinet funds to other projects including last minute additions to the budget program for projects in Romsey.

I raised this at Thursday’s full council meeting when I was told that the bid would be reconsidered next year and that no attempt had been made to find private funding to help replace the demolished building.

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Romsey’s successful bandstand was built with private funding topped up by a contribution from Test Valley. I and and your other Lib Dem councillors will be pushing to ensure the same happens in Andover.

A Town Council for Andover

Test Valley Borough Council have finally given in and approved plans which will lead to a town council for Andover

Andover’s Lib Dem councillors have been calling for this since 1988. The change of heart came after two successive yes votes in consultations carried out across the town. I welcome the decision which puts local decision-making back where it belongs - with local people.

I and my Lib Dem colleagues all voted yes for the proposals which were opposed by just two councillors. We had two clear yes votes and must respect the voters views. Andover has a great future and the new parish (town) council will be an important part of that future helping to build a stronger and more inclusive community.

Elections for the new council will take place in 2010 and councilors will sit for five years rather than four.I have some reservations about a five year term but this seems the only option unless Andover has an expensive second election in 2011.

I am sure the new council will be a success and will work with Test Valley to improve the town. I hope all residents will support the new council including those who up till now have opposed its creation. Its your town and your council. Get involved and make it work. That’s what local democracy is about. Together we can all make Andover a better place for ourselves and for future generations.

If you are interested in becoming a town councillor contact me at len.gates@andover.co.uk.

THINK AGAIN ON JOB CUTS

Local Liberal Democrats have called for a rethink on the proposed job cuts at Twinings. Prospective parliamentary candidate Tom McCann and Test Valley councillor Len Gates spoke after meeting union members and officials to discuss the proposals.

Tom McCann welcomed the offers of support and retraining for affected workers and urged staff to make full use of them. “But first” he said “the company should explore all other options. Twinings is an important part of Andover’s economy. A successful and expanding Twinings factory is essential for the future of the Walworth industrial park and of Andover. Equally Twinings needs Andover and its work force. The company must sit down with unions and other parties to find ways of protecting and expanding production on this site.”

Len Gates added “Twinings is a successful company with a reputation for quality. That quality comes not just from their products but from the skill and dedication of their work force. These skills cannot be automatically transferred to new factories abroad. The company’s main markets are the UK and Western Europe. It would be in the company’s best interest to continue to supply these markets from the Andover site.”

Both Tom and Len will continue to work with the unions and other agencies to protect jobs and promote investment in Andover.

Jubilee Benches

The pair of wooden Jubilee benches currently installed outside Andover’s Guildhall will shortly be removed for refurbishment following persistent misuse.

Councillor Marion Kerley arranged for the benches to be installed during her year as Mayor of Test Valley in 2000. She says “Sadly the benches are now so badly damaged that they have to be removed. In light of the vandalism over the years and the impending change to the use of the Lower Guildhall, it is now planned to refurbish and relocate them to other parts of the town where they can be fully appreciated and used as they should be.”

Cllr Len Gates has spoken to Mrs Kerley regarding this and expressed local concerns that the seats were to be removed and today emailed the corporate director at Test Valley to re-enforce this point as follows.

“I was disappointed to hear these benches were to be moved from the Guildhall. While I accept they need renovation to take them away permanently from the Guildhall and High Street is to remove a frequently used public facility.

On almost every occasion I’ve been in town I have seen people using them despite the fact they are damaged. Furthermore to remove them prior to giving Prezzo permission to use the Guildhall forecourt implies the decision to allow Prezzo to occupy this area is already made. In fact this point has been made in a letter in today’s Andover Advertiser.

I would prefer to see them remain where they are in front of the Guildhall and facing down the High Street. If they have to be moved can they be relocated either at the sides or further forward of the cobbled area so local residents still have the opportunity to sit there, in the sun, and enjoy the view of the High Street.”

Bandstand comes down

Andover’s Vigo Road bandstand has now been demolished. At this stage it is appropriate that we look at how this came to pass and what lessons we learn from it.

The bandstand hasn’t been used as a bandstand since the 1960s. Most recently it was used as an aviary and many locals fondly remember the budgies in there. They were re-housed two years ago when changes in animal welfare legislation made it impossible to keep them there any more. Their removal in no way affected the integrity of, or future uses for, the building. Neither does the fact that once someone let a cat into the aviary.

Since then the building has been left empty, boarded up and frequently vandalised. The costs of repairing damage have run into thousands of pounds but at no time has anyone from Test Valley thought what should we do with this important local landmark. In May of this year TVBC Leisure department arranged a survey of the building and found it to be beyond repair. They submitted a recommendation to Cllr Mrs Noakes, cabinet member for Leisure that it be removed. Mrs Noakes, together with Cllr Ian Carr, leader of the Council authorised its immediate demolition. It was not unsafe and was in no danger of falling down. This has since been confirmed by council officers and by the fact that it withstood fairly heavy treatment in its demolition.

The decision was discussed informally by cabinet members, but at no time were other councillors informed or consulted. To date neither Cllrs Noakes nor Carr have felt the need to contact any of the three councillors in whose ward the bandstand stood and discuss the matter. The first they knew of the demolition was when they heard from the local press at least a month after the decision was made.

Since then Cllrs Gates and Bailey have had detailed conversations with council officers about the bandstand. Unfortunately, the bandstand was beyond repair, refurbishment or relocation elsewhere. The only reason for its removal was to get it out of the way in time for the BigFest on August 15th. This is despite the fact that the plans for the BigFest show all activities taking place at the other end of the park. Any attempt to postpone demolition would be referred to the next cabinet meeting in September. In other words it was coming down within the next week whatever local members said or did.

They did manage to agree with officers that we and a representative of the local history society could attend the demolition to ensure as much as possible of the building and its history could be saved. To that end Cllrs Len Gates and Mike McGarry and David Borrett checked the building before work started and monitored the works. As a result the weathervane and an engraved beam (previously unknown to council officers) were saved. Nothing else could be saved, a sad end to a much loved building.

Talking since to residents it is apparent there is a need and demand for a replacement. Andover Lib Dems will be pushing for this as soon as possible. We also need to ask why and how it came to this stage that there was no option but demolition. And we need some explanations and apologies from Cllrs Carr and Noakes who have lost touch with Andover, its people and their views.

Bandstand Outcry

Andover Liberal Democrat councillors have reacted angrily to council leader Ian Carr’s decision to demolish Vigo Road’s bandstand.

Speaking on Andover Sound Cllr Carr claimed it was within the remit of council officers to demolish the bandstand whenever they wanted. Officers consulted Cllr Carr and other cabinet members but significantly no-one bothered to advise or consult local councillors. When asked whether an Andover town council could have saved the bandstand he retorted the bandstand belongs to Test Valley and so they can do what they like with it.

Discussions have taken place about moving the bandstand and Cllr Carr also admitted he had no resources for a new bandstand and appealed for members of the public to come forward and pay for a replacement. When quizzed on the adverse publicity the decision had received he angrily blamed people for giving false information to the press. He also accused fellow conservative members of forgetting they had been advised of the decision which was made by the council’s cabinet only one of whom is an Andover member. Significantly only Tory councillors were advised of the decision.

St Mary’s councillor Rod Bailey said “The bandstand is an important local landmark and residents are furious that the decision has been made without consultation. The first I knew about it was when the story appeared in the local paper. This is unacceptable.”

Fellow ward councillor Mike McGarry said “I am appalled at the way this whole fiasco has been handled by the Leader and his Cabinet, firstly they make this decision without consulting the local people or the ward councillors, undemocratically giving us no chance to comment, secondly when residents are up in arms they try to rush it through so there is no going back and thirdly Cllr Carr makes promises about a replacement that he knows can’t happen in the current economic climate. How can he justify spending money on knocking it down, let alone building a new one when TVBC are making people redundant? ”.

Lib Dem leader Len Gates commented “Once again Cllr Carr and his colleagues have shown complete disregard for the people of Andover and behaved like feudal landlords in their attitude to the town. As with the Guildhall, the bandstand has been allowed to fall into disrepair and then this disrepair used as an excuse to destroy another part of Andover’s heritage. The latest claim is that the bandstand is so unsafe that it must be demolished immediately. If this is the case, surely it has been unsafe for sometime and has not therefore been maintained properly. Andover residents deserve some straight answers from Cllr Carr.”

Liberal Democrats on Test Valley Borough Council will be seeking a review of the decision making process and assurances that the bandstand will be replaced and preferably restored elsewhere in the park.

Guildhall losses finally admitted

In a written answer to last night’s Andover Councillors Forum it was finally admitted that the council has lost money as a result of leaving the lower Guildhall empty.While full figures have not been given, council officers have confirmed that lettings income for the Upper Guildhall and Rendezvous is £5,500 down on income from the Upper and Lower Guildhalls over the previous year. In addition the council has spent £114,000 on set up costs for the Rendezvous. No figure has been given for the running costs (maintenance and staffing) of the two facilities.This adds up to £119,500 of council taxpayers money spent on closing the lower Guildhall and setting up an alternative facility that no-one wanted and very few people use. Most of the previous users of the lower Guildhall have since found alternatives to the Rendezvous because it is inadequate and in the wrong place. They also dispute council claims that facilities at the Rendezvous are superior to those at the Guildhall.In addition the council has still to see any rental income from Prezzo as no contracts have been signed. The value of this rental is described as confidential commercial information. However it has previously been claimed to be more than enough to cover running costs of both the Guildhall and the Rendezvous.
Cllr Len Gates said "I believe the answers given are totally inadequate. The costs and future of the Rendezvous and Guildhall are due to be reviewed by the council’s Overview and Scrutiny Committee later this year. I will insist on a more detailed response then".

A sad day for the Guildhall

At a meeting of Test Valley’s Northern Area Planning Committee, approval was given for advertising signs on the Guildhall. The application was from Prezzo for signs on the windows and plaques on each door announcing their presence in the building. I am pleased to report that a further application for illuminated lecterns with menus outside the building was withdrawn.Many residents have objrcted to the signs and I agree with them. The proposal is that every window (24 in all) will have Prezzo emblazoned across it in addition to three further plaques mounted on the walls. This I believe is completely over the top and will spoil the building the centre of our town and an important tourist attraction. There can be no-one in North West Hampshire that doen’t know Prezzo are moving into the Guildhall. We do not need 24 reminders across every available window.I was disappointed to hear some members of the committee arguing that the approval must be given so as to speed up the conversion of the building into a restaurant and that any one opposing the application was trying to block the changeover. Council officers made it quite clear that the change of use and the alterations to the building were separate matters and that one does not automatically follow the other.My ammendment, backed by St Mary’s ward councillor Mike McGarry, to restrict signs to the doors only was defeated by eighteen votes to two. A sad day for the Guildhall and for Andover