Bandstand Outcry

Andover Liberal Democrat councillors have reacted angrily to council leader Ian Carr’s decision to demolish Vigo Road’s bandstand.

Speaking on Andover Sound Cllr Carr claimed it was within the remit of council officers to demolish the bandstand whenever they wanted. Officers consulted Cllr Carr and other cabinet members but significantly no-one bothered to advise or consult local councillors. When asked whether an Andover town council could have saved the bandstand he retorted the bandstand belongs to Test Valley and so they can do what they like with it.

Discussions have taken place about moving the bandstand and Cllr Carr also admitted he had no resources for a new bandstand and appealed for members of the public to come forward and pay for a replacement. When quizzed on the adverse publicity the decision had received he angrily blamed people for giving false information to the press. He also accused fellow conservative members of forgetting they had been advised of the decision which was made by the council’s cabinet only one of whom is an Andover member. Significantly only Tory councillors were advised of the decision.

St Mary’s councillor Rod Bailey said “The bandstand is an important local landmark and residents are furious that the decision has been made without consultation. The first I knew about it was when the story appeared in the local paper. This is unacceptable.”

Fellow ward councillor Mike McGarry said “I am appalled at the way this whole fiasco has been handled by the Leader and his Cabinet, firstly they make this decision without consulting the local people or the ward councillors, undemocratically giving us no chance to comment, secondly when residents are up in arms they try to rush it through so there is no going back and thirdly Cllr Carr makes promises about a replacement that he knows can’t happen in the current economic climate. How can he justify spending money on knocking it down, let alone building a new one when TVBC are making people redundant? ”.

Lib Dem leader Len Gates commented “Once again Cllr Carr and his colleagues have shown complete disregard for the people of Andover and behaved like feudal landlords in their attitude to the town. As with the Guildhall, the bandstand has been allowed to fall into disrepair and then this disrepair used as an excuse to destroy another part of Andover’s heritage. The latest claim is that the bandstand is so unsafe that it must be demolished immediately. If this is the case, surely it has been unsafe for sometime and has not therefore been maintained properly. Andover residents deserve some straight answers from Cllr Carr.”

Liberal Democrats on Test Valley Borough Council will be seeking a review of the decision making process and assurances that the bandstand will be replaced and preferably restored elsewhere in the park.