What we need is a business park (From Andover Advertiser)

What we need is a business park

10:09am Friday 15th February 2008

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ANDOVER needs a business park and not a megashed was the underlying message at the latest public meeting held by the Stop the Megashed Campaign group.

The latest in a series of events trying to convince Test Valley Borough Councillors to refuse a planning application for a Tesco distribution centre on the former Andover Airfield site was staged on Thursday.

The campaign group has many objections to the application including the lack of high quality jobs it would bring to the town and the fact that they believe it's too big for the area.

A major issue at the meeting was a feared increase in traffic on the A303.

"The A303 was never intended and never designed to carry the sort of volume that's being proposed," said Lord David Howell, who was involved with the original design of the road.

A date has not been fixed for the formal planning meeting to decide on the application.

It has been postponed due to outstanding objections from Hampshire County Council which the developer has not yet addressed.

Members of the campaign told the several hundred residents present at John Hanson Community School they can still object.

"We have the power to empower our councillors to turn this away," said campaign chairman Rhonda Smith.

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