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Search the Public Notice PortalBASINGSTOKE's AA building is set to be demolished after senior councillors agreed a strategy to bring down the 18‑storey Fanum House and unlock one of the town’s most prominent sites.
Cabinet backed plans on Tuesday, June 9, to demolish the former AA headquarters, with council leaders saying the 1970s tower has “reached the end of its useful life” and is no longer suitable for modern offices.
Leader Cllr Paul Harvey described Fanum House as “aged” and “a victim of its age”, telling the meeting the block is “full of asbestos” and badly in need of renewal. He said the nine‑acre site offered “the opportunity to replace it with something that will last the next 60 years and be as iconic”.
There was a lighter moment as finance and property lead Cllr Gavin James chipped in: “You said the building is old, and it’s tired – it’s the same age as you,” prompting cabinet colleague Cllr Onnalee Cubitt to reassure those watching that meant the tower was “younger than Cllr Gavin James”.
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Aside from the jokes, Cllr James set out the case for demolition, warning that the existing design “isn’t suited for modern offices” and would require wholesale replacement of asbestos and outdated heating systems to meet current standards.
“It has sadly reached the end of its useful life,” he said. “The best way to get the land regenerated is to demolish the site. The value that will be added to the site will be greater if the site is cleared in preparation.”
Under the Fanum House Redevelopment Strategy, the cleared plot at the western end of Basing View would be taken forward through the council’s proposed Investment Partnership, with the long‑term ambition for a mix of new offices, education space and homes still to be worked up and subject to planning permission.
Cllr Harvey told the meeting the aim was to “hopefully replace it very quickly”, stressing that demolition was about speeding up regeneration rather than leaving a long‑term gap on the skyline.
Cllr John McKay backed the move, saying “this council isn’t the National Trust” and arguing that pressing ahead was “responsible and the right thing to do”.
Cllr Cubitt said the decision was “fantastic for the wider vision of Basing View” and would help to modernise the business district.
The tower, opened by Queen Elizabeth II in 1973 and long marketed as the “tallest building between London and New York”, has been empty since January after the AA moved to new premises nearby.
The council has previously looked at converting it for housing or refurbishing it for offices, but officers concluded that the cost and complexity of dealing with asbestos and outdated systems made demolition the most economic option.
Work will now continue on a detailed demolition plan and planning application, alongside talks with partners and businesses, and on how to recognise Fanum House’s history – from royal opening and decades as an AA headquarters to its recent role as a film location – in whatever eventually replaces it.
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