Andover Liberal Democrats back the Town Council Campaign

2.21.00pm GMT Wed 26th Dec 2007

Andover Lib Dem councillors have tabled a motion to Test Valley Borough Council supporting the Campaign for an Andover Town Council. The motion will be debated at the next council meeting in Crossfield Hall, Romsey on January 10th.

The full text of the motion is as follows:

Council notes the current Campaign for an Andover Town Council, the non-political nature of the campaign and their plans to petition all the unparished area of Andover in favour of a town council.

Council regards such a campaign as good for local democracy in that it will increase public participation in, and increase public awareness of, the democratic process.

Council endorses the campaign's aim to determine whether there is local demand for a town council and resolves, that if such a demand is proven, to fully support the establishment of a town council for Andover."

The Campaign for an Andover Town Council will begin petitioning the unparished areas of Andover in January. Proposer of the motion and Lib Dem group leader Cllr Len Gates commented "Our motion congratulates the campaign committee for raising public awareness of local democracy and for their work in canvassing public opinion on the issue. For too long the residents of Andover have been denied the same level of representation as enjoyed by other residents of the borough. It is only right that they should be consulted on this and given the choice as to whether they want a town council to represent their views. The final decision must be made not by local political parties, nor Test Valley Borough Council but by the residents of Andover themselves."