A BOROUGH councillor is calling for the county council to sell an Andover care home site in order to boost its finances.

Cllr Iris Andersen, Test Valley Borough councillor for Andover St Mary’s, is calling on Hampshire County Council to put Copper Beeches assisted living home, in Woodlands Way, on the market.

The home was temporarily closed in 2021 due to “workforce challenges”, but the authority decided in February this year that it will not reopen.

Cllr Andersen said: “Hearing the circumstances that Hampshire County Council are in how do you leave a building like that empty.

READ MORE: 'Residents deserve better': Concern grows as Andover care home remains closed

Andover Advertiser: “They are trying to make the money go around everywhere. It has been two years of understanding what was going to happen to the building but now it is literally sat there but by selling the building that money could be going into the council’s funds.”

She continued: “It is just a long time happening, all when you know that that money could be put back into their finances – why aren’t they thinking ‘this is time now to sell it’.

“They need the money, so why are they waiting? I can understand a two-year wait but it is time to move on now.”

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Cllr Andersen said she would like to see the building put back into use for residential care.

Hampshire County Council is looking at ways to address a £132m budget shortfall faced by April 2025.

Areas being targeted include adult social care charges, adult social care grant schemes, Hampshire Cultural Trust Grant, highways maintenance, homelessness support services, household waste recycling centres, library stock and school crossing patrols.

A council spokesperson said: “The county council is undertaking the process of decommissioning Copper Beaches and securing the site in in preparation for a decision being taken on the future reuse or potential disposal of the site.

“The matter is under careful consideration, and as yet no final decision or recommendations regarding the future of the site have been made.”