Andover News
The latest Andover news: planning decisions, council and crime updates, business and community stories, each linked back to its official source.
Top story
Andover planning: councillor call-in ends on 31 October
From 31 October no Andover councillor can call a planning application to committee. Two of the three on Thursday's agenda would become officer decisions.
More stories
Council
Test Valley council merger withdrawn: May 2027 vote back on
Test Valley Borough Council is no longer being abolished in 2028. The government withdrew Hampshire's merger on 7 September, so May 2027 is a borough poll.
Planning
Vigo Park splash pad: Andover decision due 17 September
Planners back a splash pad, a new bowls pavilion, public toilets and a kiosk at Vigo Park. Councillors decide on 17 September, and residents can still speak.
Business
Andover shop front grant: up to £10,000, deadline March 2027
Globe Galleries has £1,782 to fix its roof. The same Andover fund pays up to £10,000, or £12,500 on a listed building, if the work is finished by 15 March 2027.
House prices
Test Valley house prices flat as Winchester rises 4.6%
The average Test Valley home cost £372,348 in June, £732 less than a year earlier. Winchester rose 4.6% and England 1.8%. Detached homes did the pulling back.
Licensing
Air Festival Licence Granted: No Fireworks at Thruxton
Councillors granted the Thruxton air festival its licence with 30 conditions, a 14,999 cap and no airborne fireworks this year. The show runs 12-13 September.
Andover Museum
Andover Museum: £150,000 Council Rescue Plan, 2 Votes
Test Valley would put in £100,000 and the town council £50,000 to keep Andover Museum and the Museum of the Iron Age open to March 2029. Both vote this month.
Andover town centre
Andover Council Selling Town Mills Open Space to Brewery
Test Valley wants to sell 566.8 sq m of public open space at Town Mills to the pub's brewery. Objections close on Friday, and the plan is not published online.
Andover town centre
Slots Arcade Bid for Andover High Street: Have Your Say
MERKUR wants an adult gaming centre licence at 38-40 High Street. It would be the first in a Test Valley town centre, and representations close on 8 September.
Licensing
Hampshire Air Festival: 26 Object, Licence Ruled On 26 Aug
Councillors decide the Thruxton air festival's drink and music licence on Wednesday, after 26 residents objected. The ground firework finale is already off.
Council
Test Valley Council's 2028 Abolition: Plan Now Withdrawn
The plan to abolish Test Valley Borough Council in 2028 was withdrawn on 7 September. What it would have done, and why May 2027 is now a borough election.
Jobs
Test Valley Under-25 Claimants Rise Fastest in Hampshire
310 people aged 18 to 24 were claiming in Test Valley in July, up 21.6% in a year: the steepest rise of any Hampshire district. The borough total barely moved.
Business
Andover Independent Retailer Grant: £1,200 for Empty Units
The Kitten's Emporium in George's Yard has the council's Independent Retailer Grant. Who qualifies, the 8-week deadline and how the two £600 halves are paid.
Environment
Woodington Farm, Wellow: 44 hectares to open as green space
Test Valley has £2.7m of government money to buy 44.5 hectares at Woodington Farm on the River Blackwater. Around 34 hectares open to walkers; a car park application is due this summer.
Planning
Andover riverside park: design done, build due late 2026
Detailed design of the Western Avenue riverside park is finished and the council approved two changes to its own permission on 13 August. Build due late 2026.
Business
Chilbolton village shop wins £21,700 to grow food business
Chilbolton Village Shop and Tearoom has £21,700 of grants for a reconfigured shop and a second kitchen. The fund behind it still holds £100,000 for 2026/27.