A COMMUNITY interest company planning to organise a Winter Wonderland in Andover has been forced to withdraw a grant application to the town council. 

Bringing Andover Together CIC had applied for a grant of £1,000 in order to hold the Winter Wonderland in Andover town centre on December 4.

The organisation has also sought £11,000 from Hampshire County Council, £1,000 from individual county councillors, £2,000 from Test Valley Borough Council and £4,000 from businesses as sponsorship.

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The total cost of the project is estimated at £18,000.

A community and events committee of the Andover Town Council that met on Wednesday, October 19, could not vote on the grant application because only four councillors attended the meeting – and two of them had declared an interest in the item. 

The committee has nine councillors – chairman Cllr Jason Sangster, vice chair Cllr Rebecca Meyer, Cllr Nicholas Asamoah, Cllr Lauren Banville, Cllr David Coole, Cllr Christopher Ecclestone, Cllr Luigi Gregori, Cllr Nigel Long and Cllr David Treadwell.

Only councillors Sangster, Meyer, Coole and Long attended the meeting. Councillors Meyer and Coole had made a declaration of interest in the Winter Wonderland grant application.

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Because of this, Bringing Andover Together’s director Dmitrijs Meiksans withdrew the grant application.

The committee also deferred a decision on a £500 grant application made by Wherwell School PTA to fund or subsidise school trips for young children who reside in Andover.

However, it did approve a grant application by Yellow Brick Road projects for £500 towards the cost of hosting a social worker session within the community.

The committee also decided to grant £500 to Spotlight UK based on their grant application of £1,000 towards the cost of a family fun session for children who have suffered domestic violence, mental health issues or other trauma.

The committee members have also decided to seek the opinion of full council on Andover Town Council’s contribution to the celebrations for the Coronation of Charles III on May 6, 2023.