Test Valley Borough Council to spend £250,000 on Masterplan

Following years of development, the Andover Masterplan, which will see the Chantry Centre demolished and miles of new parkland created, was revealed in September 2020, and subsequently approved by TVBC later that year.

Since then, work has been completed on the Town Mills Riverside Park, touted as the first part of the plan, and the council has taken steps to embrace the “opportunities” of the plan in a later vote. However, the bulk of the plan is still to be considered, let alone constructed.

TVBC have now published a tender, calling on an organisation, or consortium of them, to “procure detailed capacity and feasibility designs alongside development appraisal, funding and phasing advice”.

This will include steps the council can take to ensure that the plan can be brought to fruition, such as the steps to be taken to demolish the Chantry Centre, which is likely to be taken down in stages as it is replaced by new buildings and open air streets in the heart of Andover.

The council is looking for an expert, which “appropriate” experience in development management, development valuations and appraisals, funding structures and architectural services.

For this one year contract, the winner of the tender will be paid £250,000. For the development of the masterplan itself, TVBC has already paid out £83,936 to architects Hemingway Design, along with their partners NEW Masterplanning, for the content of the Masterplan itself.

Councillor Phil North, leader of TVBC, has previously told the Advertiser that the Masterplan “is not something to be rushed and requires time, expertise, and expense.”

Applications for the plan must be received by June 18 at midday, with no further applications to be received after this date.

However, even once complete, it will be a long road to the plan being completed, with initial estimates suggesting over a decade before the works will be substantially complete.