Test Valley

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Test Valley
Borough and non-metropolitan district
Andover Town Centre
Andover Town Centre
Test Valley shown within Hampshire
Test Valley shown within Hampshire
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Constituent countryEngland
RegionSouth East England
Non-metropolitan countyHampshire
StatusNon-metropolitan district
Admin HQAndover
Incorporated1 April 1974
Government
 • TypeNon-metropolitan district council
 • BodyTest Valley Borough Council
 • MPsKit Malthouse
Caroline Nokes
Area
 • Total242.3 sq mi (627.6 km2)
 • Rank57th (of 296)
Population
 (2021)
 • Total131,190
 • Rank180th (of 296)
 • Density540/sq mi (210/km2)
Ethnicity (2021)
[1]
 • Ethnic groups
List
Religion (2021)
[1]
 • Religion
List
Time zoneUTC0 (GMT)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+1 (BST)
ONS code24UN (ONS)
E07000093 (GSS)
OS grid referenceSU3560537973

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[edit]

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:[2]

The new district was named Test Valley after the River Test which flows through the area.[3] The district was awarded borough status on 22 October 1976, allowing the chair of the council to take the title of mayor.[4]

Governance[edit]

Test Valley Borough Council
Logo
Type
Type
Leadership
Philip Lashbrook,
Conservative
since 24 May 2023[5]
Phil North,
Conservative
since 10 May 2017
Andy Ferrier
since 15 June 2020[6]
Structure
Seats43 councillors
Political groups
Administration (26)
  Conservative (26)
Opposition (17)
  Liberal Democrat (17)
Length of term
4 years
Elections
Last election
4 May 2023
Next election
6 May 2027
Meeting place
Beech Hurst, Weyhill Road, Andover, SP10 3AJ
Website
www.testvalley.gov.uk

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.[7]

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.[8]

Political control[edit]

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:[9]

Party in control Years
Independent 1974–1976
No overall control 1976–1979
Conservative 1979–1995
No overall control 1995–1999
Conservative 1999–present

Leadership[edit]

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:[10][11]

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

Composition[edit]

Following the 2023 election, the composition of the council was:[12]

Party Councillors
Conservative 26
Liberal Democrats 17
Total 43

The next election is due in 2027.

Elections[edit]

See also: Test Valley Borough Council 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.[13]

Premises[edit]

Andover Guildhall, one of the council's meeting places.

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.[14] The council also maintains a smaller office at the former Magistrates' Court on Church Street in Romsey.[15] Full council meetings are held alternately at Andover Guildhall and at Crosfield Hall in Romsey.[10]

Geography[edit]

Test Valley covers some 250 square miles (650 km2) 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[edit]

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.[16]

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.[17][18]

Towns and parishes[edit]

See also: List of civil parishes in Hampshire

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.[19]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b UK Census (2021). "2021 Census Area Profile – Test Valley Local Authority (E07000093)". Nomis. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
  2. ^ "The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Definition) Order 1972", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 1972/2039, retrieved 31 May 2023
  3. ^ "The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Names) Order 1973", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 1973/551, retrieved 31 May 2023
  4. ^ Alterations of Area and Status (PDF). London: Department of the Environment. 1976. p. 1. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 June 2011. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
  5. ^ "Council minutes, 24 May 2023". Test Valley Borough Council. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
  6. ^ "New Chief Executive for Test Valley". Test Valley Borough Council News. 11 June 2020. Retrieved 13 November 2020.
  7. ^ "Local Government Act 1972", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 1972 c. 70, retrieved 31 May 2023
  8. ^ "Members". New Forest National Park. Retrieved 12 November 2023.
  9. ^ "Compositions calculator". The Elections Centre. Retrieved 8 November 2023.
  10. ^ a b "Council minutes". Test Valley Borough Council. Retrieved 19 July 2022.
  11. ^ "Past leaders of the council". Test Valley Borough Council. Retrieved 19 July 2022.
  12. ^ "Local elections 2023: live council results for England". The Guardian.
  13. ^ "The Test Valley (Electoral Changes) Order 2018", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 2018/36, retrieved 14 November 2023
  14. ^ Borrett, David (20 February 2021). "Andover History: The tale of the mighty Beech Hurst". Andover Advertiser. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
  15. ^ "Test Valley Borough Council". Retrieved 14 November 2023.
  16. ^ "Sport England Active People Survey National Factsheet". 2007. Archived from the original (XLS) on 15 March 2007. Retrieved 12 May 2017.
  17. ^ "Test Valley Scores in Top 20 Rural Areas to Live, Says The Halifax". Inspired Community. Retrieved 19 August 2012.
  18. ^ "Halifax Survey Ranks Test Valley as 14th Best Rural Area to Live". Inspired Community.
  19. ^ "Parish Council contact details". Test Valley Borough Council. Retrieved 14 November 2023.

External links[edit]

51°08′22″N 1°29′28″W / 51.1394°N 1.491°W / 51.1394; -1.491

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