Test Valley Explained

Test Valley is a local government district with borough status in Hampshire, England, named after the valley of the River Test. The council is based in the borough's largest town of Andover. The borough also contains the town of Romsey and numerous villages and surrounding rural areas. A small part of the borough at its southern end lies within the New Forest National Park, and part of the borough north of Andover lies within the North Wessex Downs, a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

The neighbouring districts are Basingstoke and Deane, Winchester, Eastleigh, Southampton, New Forest, Wiltshire and West Berkshire.

History

The district was created on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972, covering the area of four former districts which were all abolished at the same time:[1]

The new district was named Test Valley after the River Test which flows through the area.[2] The district was awarded borough status on 22 October 1976, allowing the chair of the council to take the title of mayor.[3]

Governance

Test Valley Borough Council
Logo Pic:Test Valley Borough Council logo.svg
Logo Res:200px
House Type:Non-metropolitan district
Leader1 Type:Mayor
Leader1:Ian Jeffrey
Party1:
Conservative
Election1:22 May 2024[4]
Leader2 Type:Leader
Leader2:Phil North
Party2:
Conservative
Election2:10 May 2017
Leader3 Type:Chief Executive
Leader3:Andy Ferrier
Election3:15 June 2020[5]
Political Groups1:
Administration (26)
  • Conservative (26)
    Opposition (17)
  • Seats:43 councillors
    Structure1 Res:250
    Last Election1:4 May 2023
    Next Election1:6 May 2027
    Term Length:4 years
    Session Room:Andover - Beach Hurst - geograph.org.uk - 1159990.jpg
    Meeting Place:Beech Hurst, Weyhill Road, Andover, SP103AJ

    Test Valley Borough Council provides district-level services. County-level services are provided by Hampshire County Council. The whole district is also covered by civil parishes, which form a third tier of local government.[6]

    In the part of the borough within the New Forest National Park, town planning is the responsibility of the New Forest National Park Authority. The borough council appoints one of its councillors to serve on the 22-person National Park Authority.[7]

    Political control

    The council has been under Conservative majority control since 1999.

    The first election to the council was held in 1973, initially acting as a shadow authority alongside the outgoing authorities until the new arrangements took effect on 1 April 1974. Political control since 1974 has been as follows:[8]

    Party in control Years
    1974–1976
    1976–1979
    1979–1995
    1995–1999
    1999–present

    Leadership

    The role of mayor is largely ceremonial in Test Valley. Political leadership is instead provided by the leader of the council. The leaders since 1980 have been:[9] [10]

    Councillor Party From To Notes
    John Morgan 1980 1985
    1985 4 May 1994
    Eileen Haselden 4 May 1994 17 May 1995
    Eileen Haselden 17 May 1995 14 May 1997 Joint leaders
    Mark Cooper
    Mark Cooper 14 May 1997 6 May 1998
    Norman Arnell 6 May 1998 19 May 1999
    Ian Carr 19 May 1999 10 May 2017
    Phil North 10 May 2017

    Composition

    Following the 2023 election, the composition of the council was:[11]

    PartyCouncillors
    26
    17
    Total 43

    The next election is due in 2027.

    Elections

    Since the last boundary changes in 2019 the council has comprised 43 councillors representing 20 wards, with each ward electing one, two or three councillors. Elections are held every four years.[12]

    Premises

    The council has its main offices at Beech Hurst in Andover. The site had previously been a large house built in the 1850s, which had been purchased in 1947 by the old Andover Borough Council to use as its headquarters. The house continued to serve as offices for Test Valley after the new council's creation in 1974 until 1990 when it was demolished and replaced by a modern building on the same site, retaining the Beech Hurst name.[13] The council also maintains a smaller office at the former Magistrates' Court on Church Street in Romsey.[14] Full council meetings are held alternately at Andover Guildhall and at Crosfield Hall in Romsey.[9]

    Geography

    Test Valley covers some 250sqmi of western Hampshire, stretching from boundaries with Southampton in the south to near Newbury in the north. Test Valley is a predominantly rural area. It includes part of the North Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

    The River Test is the centrepiece of the Test Valley; the river is a chalk stream of particular beauty known for its fishing, salmon and trout, which Lord Crickhowell (onetime chairman of the National Rivers Authority) said "should be treated as a great work of art or music". Stockbridge is home of the Houghton Fishing Club, an exclusive fishing club founded in 1822, which meets in the Grosvenor Hotel.

    Demographics

    In December 2006, Sport England published a survey which revealed that residents of Test Valley were the 8th most active in England in sports and other fitness activities. 26.9% of the population participate at least 3 times a week for 30 minutes.[15]

    In March 2012 Test Valley was ranked 14th best rural area to live out of 119 local authority areas in Great Britain by the Halifax. This was based on factors including employment and income levels, the weather, health and life expectancy, education, crime, broadband access and other things.[16] [17]

    Towns and parishes

    The whole borough is covered by civil parishes. The parish councils for Andover and Romsey have declared their parishes to be towns, allowing them to take the style "town council". Whilst Stockbridge is a post town it has a parish council rather than a town council. Some of the smaller parishes have a parish meeting rather than a parish council. The parishes of Frenchmoor and West Tytherley share a grouped parish council.[18]

    Media

    Television

    The area is served by BBC South and ITV Meridian with television signals received from either Rowridge or Hannington TV transmitters. [19] [20]

    Radio

    Radio stations for the area are:

    See also

    External links

    51.1394°N -1.491°W

    Notes and References

    1. si. The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Definition) Order 1972. 1972. 2039. 31 May 2023.
    2. si. The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Names) Order 1973. 1973. 551. 31 May 2023.
    3. Book: Alterations of Area and Status . 1976 . Department of the Environment . London . 1 . 13 November 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110603044259/http://www.lgbce.org.uk/__documents/records-and-resources/bulletins-published-by-dclg/change---bulletin-1976.pdf . 3 June 2011.
    4. News: Oliver . Toby . Mayor of Test Valley: Cllr Ian Jeffrey elected into role . 5 July 2024 . Andover Advertiser . 22 May 2024.
    5. News: New Chief Executive for Test Valley . 13 November 2020 . Test Valley Borough Council News . 11 June 2020.
    6. act. Local Government Act 1972. 1972. 70. 31 May 2023.
    7. Web site: Members . New Forest National Park . 12 November 2023.
    8. Web site: Compositions calculator . The Elections Centre . 8 November 2023.
    9. Web site: Council minutes . Test Valley Borough Council . 19 July 2022.
    10. Web site: Past leaders of the council . Test Valley Borough Council . 19 July 2022.
    11. Web site: Local elections 2023: live council results for England. The Guardian.
    12. si. The Test Valley (Electoral Changes) Order 2018. 2018. 36. 14 November 2023.
    13. News: Borrett . David . Andover History: The tale of the mighty Beech Hurst . 14 November 2023 . Andover Advertiser . 20 February 2021.
    14. Web site: Test Valley Borough Council . 14 November 2023.
    15. Web site: Sport England Active People Survey National Factsheet . 2007 . XLS . 12 May 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20070315220153/http://www.sportengland.org/national_factsheet_appendix_(all_las_ranked)_v2.xls . 2007-03-15.
    16. Web site: Test Valley Scores in Top 20 Rural Areas to Live, Says The Halifax . Inspired Community . 19 August 2012.
    17. Web site: Halifax Survey Ranks Test Valley as 14th Best Rural Area to Live. Inspired Community.
    18. Web site: Parish Council contact details . Test Valley Borough Council . 14 November 2023.
    19. Web site: Full Freeview on the Rowridge (Isle Of Wight, England) transmitter . May 2004 .
    20. Web site: Hannington (Hampshire, England) Full Freeview transmitter . May 2004 .