A POPULAR cafe has launched a petition in a desperate bid to prevent its closure in the face of noise complaints.

Butter’s Cafe, on High Street, set up the petition last week calling for support, and soon attracted nearly 2,000 signatures.

The petition explains the struggles the family-run cafe has had in starting up and settling in to the town in the past two years.

Owner Stuart Blake said the cafe has received three noise complaints since holiday lets opposite opened in June.

He said the borough council has asked them put on door closers and install air conditioning, which has cost them thousands.

Now they say the council is even suggesting the cafe has its windows double glazed as well as cutting their music events. Test Valley Borough Council strongly disputes this.

Mr Blake said the cafe originally wanted to stay quiet as it was not about ‘point scoring’. He said: “I think the support is really overwhelming, we have been really humbled by it. It’s nice to see how much people have come out and supported us.

“I don’t think it’s just us, I think they’re hoping more businesses come to Andover because it’s so dead.”

TVBC councillor Sandra Hawke said: “Butters has received a great deal of help and support from their local ward councillors in particular, to try to help them to resolve any issues they have faced since opening in the town.

“That said, we also have a statutory duty to investigate noise complaints. We have received three noise complaints to date and have followed these up with Butters as we would do with any other business or resident.

“At no point have we suggested that Butters close, or stipulated that they make changes that would cause them to close.

“We have not asked them to install double glazing as this would be cost prohibitive, nor would it be practical for such a large expanse of window frontage.

“In any case, this would not solve the noise problem, as the main issue is with noise leaking through the doors when they are propped open. We did suggest that they fit a self-closing mechanism on their doors and prevent customers from pinning the doors open, to help address this.”