TRUSTEES have been told to go back to the drawing board with plans to redevelop Andover’s almshouses.

Test Valley Borough Council’s Northern Area Planning Committee last night (November 15) rejected proposals to demolish the existing four homes to build 12 flats on the Adelaide Road site.

The seven-year-long, mooted £1.5million project has seen designs change and complications over land ownership, but at the meeting last night, all agreed that something needed to be done to improve the almshouses.

However, it was established that talks needed to continue with Andover Charity Trustees - the organisation behind the project - and the council to create almshouses that could be a gateway building to the town and retain the heritage asset, without an overdevelopment of the site.

Bryan Beggs, who spearheaded the project, died in March this year but had written a statement in anticipation of the meeting which was read out by Pamela Woolgrove.

Mrs Woolgrove, on behalf of Mr Beggs, said that the plans involved the demolition of a “no longer fit for purpose” building which has “become isolated in a sea of tarmac” due to the amount of new buildings neighbouring the site.

He added that hopefully the plan will “provide a solution for the now damp and generally inadequate Victorian building” and the work would “bring long-term benefits to the citizens of Andover”.

Currently, only one of the four almshouses is lived in, with the tenant saying she will only move out when work begins to replace the existing block.

Members of the Andover Charity Trustees Councillor Chris Lynn and Councillor Jan Budzynski urged their fellow councillors to “vote for change”.

Cllr Budzynski said: “These almshouses will never be fit for inhabitants, although they have minor historic importance, the benefits for the inhabitants far outweighs this.”

Andover mayor Councillor Barbara Long told the committee that the town authority was pleased that the plans had been changed following its previous objections.

She added: “It should meet the needs of the 21st century and beyond. Andover Town Council does not want to see the almshouses fall into disrepair and we urge you to work with the charity trustees whatever happens.”

But objector David Borrett said that the destruction of a heritage asset for accommodation for an additional eight people was a “very bad bargain”.

He said that it should looked at “thoroughly renovating the almshouses, not in a sticking plaster fashion but in a respectful way, in doing so we can have almshouses we can be proud of”.

However, project architect Tony Compton said this would not be possible as it would be an “enormous amount of work and not cost effective”.

Concerns were also raised about the reduction of parking spaces from 29 to 14 but many councillors agreed that it was not a big enough issue for refusal, due to the presence of nearby public car parks.

Nine members voted against the plan, with five giving their backing for the project to go-ahead.

Those who voted in favour felt that the proposal would be “a very attractive entry point” for the town, but those against it said that it would “overpower that area” and would result in the loss of a heritage asset.