The Northern Area Planning Committee were scheduled to meet to discuss planning applications in the Andover area. The committee was expected to discuss applications relating to Walworth Business Park, Western Avenue and Durley Close.

Plot 90, Walworth Business Park

The committee was scheduled to continue discussing application 24/02977/FULLN, for the erection of four general industrial and storage/distribution buildings, with associated infrastructure including site access and structural landscape planting at Plot 90, Walworth Business Park.

The application site is a rectangular parcel of land located between Walworth Road to the north, and Ox Drove to the south, with Walworth Business Park immediately to the west and Picket Piece, a residential development, located to the east. The site is approximately 11 hectares in area and rises steadily in level from approximately 70m AOD to the northwest at Walworth Road, to approximately 90m AOD to the southeast at Ox Drove.

The proposal seeks a mix of B2¹ and B8² uses providing 42,033m² of maximum floorspace. The four buildings will be different in size and scale, but similar in design and appearance, with curved ridges and clad in various levels of green moving vertically up the building externally.

Two accesses to the site are proposed, with the existing access upgraded and improved, with a new secondary access serving solely building 2 to the northeast of the site. The existing access will serve buildings 1, 3 and 4, with the new access serving solely building 2.

Each building will contain an independent parking area and service yard. Structural landscaping will surround the entire site, with a cycle/pedestrian route connecting Walworth Road to Strapp Road through the site.

The parking provision of each unit is set out below:

At the Northern Area Planning Committee of 28 August 2025, the Committee resolved to defer the application to enable a site viewing panel to be undertaken by Councillors.

The officer's report noted that the main planning considerations were:

• Principle of development
• Impact on character and appearance
• Biodiversity
• Water management
• Archaeology
• Amenities
• Transport and highway matters
• Community safety
• Obligations

The officer's report stated that the application is considered to meet the requirements of Policy LE8 of the Test Valley Borough Revised Local Plan (2016) and would also accord with the relevant planning policies contained within the local plan.

The officer's recommendation was to delegate to the Head of Planning & Building to complete a S106 legal agreement to secure:

• A sustainable transport contribution of £564,233 towards the delivery of pedestrian and cycle improvements into Andover on Walworth Road and Pilgrims Way, or other such new/upgraded routes that are closely associated with these pedestrian and cycle improvements in the vicinity of that project that may arise from additional feasibility design work undertaken by the County Council;
• A financial contribution of £91,040 towards the delivery of a new footpath link from Walworth Road to Strapp Road;
• Delivery of a Travel Plan together with appropriate monitoring fees; and
• Employment Skills Plan.

Western Avenue, Andover, Hampshire

The committee was also scheduled to discuss application 25/01047/FULLN for the closure/stopping up and removal of southbound carriageway of the Western Avenue gyratory and associated changes to the highway network, including West Street and Waterloo Court, to allow for the development of a park with areas of hard and soft landscaping, play areas, lighting, pavilion, river viewing platforms and an off-road cycleway.

The application site lies to the West/North-West of Andover Town Centre, in an area containing a mix of commercial and community uses/facilities, as well as residential properties. The application site includes parts of the public highways along Western Avenue, Waterloo Court, West Street and Chantry Street, the bus station forecourt, and a section of the River Anton and its adjacent vegetated banks. Parts of the site, towards to southern end, are within the Andover Conservation Area

The submitted Planning Statement describes the proposals as follows;

The relocation of the southbound carriageway of the Western Avenue gyratory will provide the space for a new park to be created adjacent to the River Anton. The southbound carriageway is proposed to be relocated to sit alongside the northern carriageway of Western Avenue.

West Street is proposed to be widened to allow for this road to accommodate two-way vehicular movements. The bus station will be enhanced to accommodate a larger area for buses to turn around and exit back out via the northern section of West Street and onto Western Avenue via a new signalised junction.

The taxi bay and limited wait bay on West Street is proposed to be removed. Instead, this space will be widened so that it can be used as bus layover space to replace the loss of the bus stand on Western Avenue. A new time limited, on street, loading bay is proposed on Chantry Street. Taxi space re-provision is be located on Waterloo Court opposite the rear elevation of the proposed New Theatre. This is outside the red line boundary of this planning application but will be included in the public realm proposals for the New Theatre.

The existing entrance into Lidl from Western Avenue is proposed to be closed and changes to the exit and entrance points into the store from West Street are proposed to allow for a new access and egress arrangement.

The park will build on the success of the Pocket Park at Town Mills and provide beautiful new areas of hard and soft landscaping to create spaces for the community to enjoy, including space for events and pop-up coffee shops and food stalls within a new central pavilion. Areas of formal and informal play are also proposed, in addition to new river platforms providing views of the River Anton which will be enhanced through careful interventions to improve its chalk stream river habitat. The river enhancement works will be undertaken by Southern Water and have been confirmed by the Local Planning Authority to be permitted development (application reference 24/01337/CLPN).

An improved off-road cycle path for the National Cycle Network Route 246 is proposed along the western side of the river which will connect into the existing network north and south of the gyratory.

The officer's report noted that the main planning considerations were:

• Principle of development
• Character and appearance
• Heritage
• Highway network
• Biodiversity
• Water management
• Amenity and pollution
• Community safety
• Infrastructure and public open space

The officer's report stated that the proposed development would be in accordance with the relevant policies of the Test Valley Borough Revised Local Plan 2016, the relevant sections of the adopted Andover Masterplan SPD, and would be acceptable.

The officer's recommendation was that the Local Planning Authority adopts a Screening opinion to the effect that the proposed development does not constitute EIA development³ for the purposes of Regulation 5 of the 'Town & Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2017' and as such the application does not need to be accompanied by an Environmental Statement, and then PERMISSION subject to conditions.

1 Durley Close, Andover, Hampshire, SP10 3UG

Finally, the committee was scheduled to discuss application 25/01771/FULLN for the conversion of an integral garage to habitable accommodation at 1 Durley Close.

1 Durley Close is a two-storey detached brick property, located within a residential cul-de-sac. Parking is provided at the front of the property, and to the rear is a private garden.

The proposal is for the conversion of a garage to a bedroom. A new white UPVC window will replace the current garage door. In addition, the right-side door on the side elevation of the property facing east will be infilled with brickwork to match the existing dwelling.

The officer's report noted that the main planning considerations were:

• Principle of development
• Impact on character and appearance of the area
• Impact of amenity of neighbouring properties
• Impact on ecology
• Impact on highways and parking

The officer's report stated that the proposal is considered acceptable and in accordance with the policies of the TVBRLP.

The officer's recommendation was for PERMISSION subject to conditions.