Groups aim to breath new life into town (From Andover Advertiser)

Groups aim to breath new life into town

8:00am Saturday 16th February 2013 in News

FIVE working groups set up in the wake of the Andover Summit are meeting in an attempt to find ways to breathe new life into Andover town centre.

They aim to report back to Andover Town Centre Project Board by 8 April.

Their first task will be to look at the priorities identified at the Summit and begin a programme of work to investigate how these can be developed.

The priority areas are parking, signage, high street events, e nv i r o n m e n t a l improvements, reviewing planning controls and town centre management including identifying Andover’s unique quality.

As part of the discussions to establish the working groups it was decided to amalgamate the parking and signage topics into one group which is why five groups are examining six topics.

Test valley council leader Ian Carr, said: “To encourage involvement from the wide group of interested parties represented at the Summit, all who attended were invited to n o m i n a t e t h e m - selves to sit on the working groups.

“Although responses were not as forthcoming as was hoped, I am pleased that all of the groups have now been established.

“Each group currently has at least one member of the local business community with representatives from Andover Town Council, and councillors and officers from Test Valley Borough Council.

Hampshire County Council is also represented where appropriate. However, it is not too late for other businesses to get involved in this important issue and I would encourage them to step forward.

“I am pleased to announce one of the Summit’s first successes.

The High Street Events working group have put in place arrangements to offer free use of the Time Ring. As a result entertainment events have already been linked to the 2013 programme of Farmers’ Markets in the town.

The groups are Parking and Signage, High Street events, Environmental Improvements, Reviewing Planning Controls and Town Centre Management and Andover’s unique quality.