Much has been written about local Government Reorganisation (LGR), lots of conversations have taken place, and many positions have been taken.
In short, Hampshire County Council will effectively cease to exist and soon after so will Test Valley Borough Council. What will replace them are several county-wide Unitary Authorities (UAs).
Conservative-controlled Hampshire County Council considers that placing Andover and the rest of Test Valley with Eastleigh, the New Forest, and Southampton. In a UA based in Southampton, is what is best for us.
Similarly led Conservative TVBC has decided that Andover will be better served by a UA based in Winchester containing Test Valley, Winchester, East Hampshire and the New Forest.
Much of what we have heard from both HCC and TVBC is how their proposals are the best for everybody, how they will keep services local; but perhaps mainly show a lack of unity between members of the various councils leadership. Both can’t be right unless their proposals are the same, and clearly, they are not.
That much is simple logic.
Senior political figures simply repeating their mantra doesn’t make illogical magically logical.
With one exception, what worries me and should really concern you, is the total lack of any councillor from either TVBC or HCC talking about what would be best for Andover, for us.
TVBC leadership has already said that our new theatre, which will cost us many millions more than the levelling up money received, will be gift-wrapped and given to whatever UA we end up joining. It would perhaps be a naïve person who doesn’t see our new theatre with its substantial subsidies, being close to the top of the “cost cutting” closure list.
Where will we sit in relation to these new UAs having to find space for massive new housing requirements? Without strong voices representing Andover, we will be reliant on councillors who haven’t been too keen to represent us thus far. Or possibly even councillors who might struggle to find Andover on map. Andover might well end up the dumping ground for a lot of councils housing targets.
In truth, neither the TVBC nor the HCC proposals look particularly good for Andover. I have spoken to hundreds of people on the subject and practically all of them think the needs of Andover are being at best, let down and ignored. Personally, I would say that all the proposals look bad.
I had hoped that the Town Council would step up where others have let us down and make a public statement in support of Andover residents, saying how none of the proposals were good for Andover. Sadly, the least worst option was selected over outright dismissal.
That “least worst” is considered good enough for Andover residents both upsets and angers me. Is that really what the vast majority of our elected representatives think we are worth? That the honest and hard-working people of Andover only deserve the least worst possible future?
So, I shall say it here. The TVBC and HCC proposals for a future political map of Hampshire do not benefit Andover. They will not be more efficient and lead to lower council taxes, they will not lead to an improvement in services, we won’t get noticeably better roads, decisions taken could very well be to the detriment of Andover.
Simply asking your councillor of choice if council taxes will go up, or down, should let you know exactly how these options are good for us.
The views and opinions expressed by Town Councillor Mark Farren are not representative of the Andover Town Council.
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