The current funded scheme focuses on creating a riverside park between Waterloo Court and West Street. The extended park remains an ambition of the Andover Town Centre Masterplan to be brought forward at a future date, subject to funding.

The new cycleways and footpaths in the current scheme will link with existing infrastructure to support possible future connections.

Yes. New trees and soft landscaping will help screen the bus station and nearby roads, creating a more pleasant environment for park users.

The central square is similar in size to the footprint of the Time Ring on the High Street. It will include a covered area for performances and will be large enough for a range of community events.

Yes, the project team is working to make sure there’s enough power for events like festive lighting, markets, and performances.

The main path is 3.6 metres wide and the river platforms are 2.4 metres wide. The park has been designed to be inclusive and easy to navigate. Levels follow the natural landscape to avoid significant changes, and gentle ramps are included for wheelchair users and people with mobility challenges.

Yes. The park will include a mix of step-free, accessible paths and more natural, meandering routes. The design balances accessibility with a relaxed, natural riverside feel. Features like planting schemes, open lawns, and informal play areas - including “the meadow” and “the boathouse” - will help the park feel natural, varied and welcoming, not overly formal.

No public toilets are planned as part of this scheme. However, the park is in the town centre, close to existing facilities in the Chantry Centre and other nearby venues.

Yes. The park has been designed to be easily accessible for all, with multiple entry points from Bridge Street, Waterloo Court, West Street, and the bus station. Paths are step-free, level, and wide enough for wheelchairs, walking aids, and prams. Seating is provided at regular intervals to offer rest stops. Accessibility has been a key focus, with attention given to mobility impairments and hidden disabilities.

Yes. There will be a range of seating options, including:

• benches along main paths

• shaded rest areas

• informal seating in lawned and play areas

These are designed to encourage dwell time, social interaction, and inclusivity - especially for older people, families, and those with accessibility needs.

The intention is to create an inclusive space without the need to introduce formal regulation. The paths are being designed in line with national guidance for shared-use spaces. Clear signage, good surfacing, and visibility will help promote safe and respectful use by cyclists and pedestrians. The Council will monitor how the space is used and may introduce further measures if needed.

Yes. The park will include interpretation boards that tell the story of the site’s industrial past and its role in Andover’s development. There will also be commissions for public art to further celebrate the heritage and natural history of the area.

The layout of the central square has been designed to allow access for small mobile vendors, including horsebox-style food and drink stalls. These will not be permanent fixtures.

The park is designed to be flexible and event-ready, with open spaces that can host temporary stalls or pop-up vendors.

Yes. A lighting strategy has been developed and submitted with the planning application. It includes a mix of lighting to create a safe, welcoming, and attractive evening environment. This needs to be a balance against the requirement to minimise disturbance to local ecology and wildlife (e.g. bats).

Engagement has been carried out with community groups and further engagement will be undertaken around the detailed design of spaces, including play equipment and public art.

The play areas are designed to blend into the natural setting, instead of using brightly coloured, off-the-shelf equipment. Spaces like “the boathouse” and “the meadow” are being developed with natural materials and inclusive features to encourage imaginative play and exploration.

It is not intended that the space will be fenced in. Fencing will only be used where needed for safety, to keep the park feeling open and informal.

A water play area is being designed that will encourage safe play for children and enable dogs to cool down in hot weather. These elements are designed to suit the riverside setting and support informal, nature-based play.

An outdoor gym isn’t included in the current design. Informal play equipment which encourages jumping and climbing will support active lifestyles.

This feature isn’t currently planned, but the park’s flexible spaces could support social activities like outdoor chess in future.

The final choice of materials is still being developed. Sustainability is a key consideration. Materials will be tested to ensure environmental and engineering standards are met. Any paving or surfacing will balance sustainability, durability, and visual quality to suit the natural setting.

We’ve worked with Stagecoach and Unity to agree a new location. Unity will use a new dedicated bus bay within the bus station forecourt.

The layover bus space on Western Avenue will be removed and the space will become part of the new park. All current legitimate users of this space have been accommodated in the new scheme.

The taxi rank and limited wait bay on West Street will be adapted for bus layovers. New taxi bays will be added near the new theatre on Waterloo Court. These were included in the planning application for that scheme.

You’ll be able to use the Chantry Centre multi-storey car park for drop-offs and pick-ups. We’re looking at whether a short free period can be introduced to support this. Alternatively, there are several other drop-off spaces in this part of town.

Yes. Unity will have a new dedicated bay in the bus station forecourt, close to the Shopmobility unit. We worked with Unity, Stagecoach, and our design team to make sure it meets users’ needs and remains easy to access.

No. Extensive traffic modelling by Atkins and Stantec, in partnership with Hampshire County Council, shows the road is larger than needed when considering both the current size of the town and its possible future growth. The new layout will keep two lanes, bringing it in line with the rest of the roads around the town.

Western Avenue will stay open in both directions. The southbound carriageway will move to the west side of the River Anton to make space for the new riverside park.

West Street will become a two-way cul-de-sac. Vehicles, including buses, will enter and exit via the Western Avenue junction near the leisure centre.

We’ve worked closely with Stagecoach to ensure bus operations are supported. This has led to:

• larger turning areas for buses leaving the station

• new layover space near the station

• new road markings for safer bus movements

• improved clearance at the West Street/Chantry Street bend

• a new refuse area in Service Yard E for Stagecoach’s storage needs

Buses will continue to enter and exit the station from West Street via a new signal-controlled junction on Western Avenue.

No. This junction is not signal-controlled now and won’t be under the new scheme - it will however be a priority T-junction. A dedicated right-turn lane (ghost island) will be added to Western Avenue to support traffic flow.

The modelling shows the junction will work well, even during busy times like post-performance departures. The junction has been designed to accommodate large vehicles, including theatre service vehicles, and has been assessed as part of the traffic modelling. The layout also balances traffic flow with improved safety and access for people walking and cycling.

Changes in ground levels and limited space mean it’s not viable to route cycle lanes under junctions. Instead, new crossings have been carefully designed to be safe, direct, and accessible for everyone.

North of the Western Avenue/West Street junction, the upgraded cycle and footway links into the existing underpass beneath Western Avenue, providing a traffic-free crossing.

In line with national guidance, the proposed cycle route along the western bank of the River Anton is three metres wide and is a dual-direction, segregated cycleway specifically designed for cyclists. It is therefore not suitable for shared-use with pedestrians due to safety risks.

However, a shared-use path is planned along the eastern riverbank. This will be the main north–south route through the riverside park and will include public squares and natural play areas. As this has been designed for both pedestrians and cyclists, it could be suitable for informal recreational use, such as running.

The new layout for West Street includes an off-road parking area for chemical deliveries. This space will not block the footway and cycleway, which is an improvement on the current setup.

Three dedicated sessions with residents were held in 2024 before submitting the planning application, with a further session held in 2025 after planning was granted. We also undertook door-to-door engagement and worked with the Chantry Lodge Residents Association, enabling residents to raise any concerns. The main concerns raised were about traffic, noise, and air quality.

Independent assessments found:

• Noise: Impacts will be 'negligible' to 'minor'. No homes qualify for statutory noise mitigation.

• Air quality: Changes to traffic flow will have a negligible effect. Pollution levels will stay well within national safety limits.

Following feedback, we made several changes to the scheme:

• reduced the speed limit on West Street from 30mph to 20mph

• relocated and improved pedestrian crossings near the Chantry Street bend

• reviewed and amended delivery arrangements for the leisure centre

• added a dedicated loading bay for Chantry Lodge

The river will benefit from targeted ecological improvements to restore its health and enhance its value as a chalk stream.

This includes:

• planting new marginal vegetation where light allows

• adding natural features like berms, coarse gravel, and large woody debris

These changes will help improve biodiversity, support native species, and create a more natural river environment, while keeping the channel stable.

Earlier designs considered adding more meanders to the river. However, surveys and ecological advice showed that disturbing the banks could harm the sensitive chalk stream habitat, due to historical contamination from the construction of the railway. Instead, the final design introduces gentle flow patterns using natural features like gravel riffles, berms, and flow deflectors. These achieve the same ecological benefits without damaging the riverbanks.

Flow will be improved using:

• gravel riffles

• large woody debris

• narrowing the channel base in shaded areas

These features create varied flow depths and speeds, which help oxygenate the water and support chalk stream plants like ranunculus.

The design also encourages a natural side-to-side flow, seen in healthy, self-sustaining chalk streams. Elements of the work within the river channel and being undertaken by Southern Water, with advice from their ecologists.

There are no additional river crossings planned as part of this scheme.

To protect the river’s ecology, access will be restricted to the western bank of the river. People will be encouraged to enjoy the river from new viewing platforms on the eastern bank as part of the park. The park will offer places to pause, reflect, and enjoy the river.

Existing vegetation will be managed and enhanced to improve visibility of the river, and further design work is underway to shape the transition between the river, its banks, and the park.

No bridge is planned in this part of the park. The western bank is being protected and enhanced to support biodiversity and chalk stream habitat recovery.

The riverside park is a key link in Andover’s long-distance riverside walking route. This stretch is currently inaccessible as it is cut off by roads. The new scheme reconnects two important walking routes, making it easier to walk from Rooksbury Mill in the south to Anton Lakes in the north. Wayfinding signs and interpretation boards will help people follow the continuous route and learn more about the river, making it a more visible and inviting asset for the town.

Funding comes from a mix of sources, including:

• a central government grant of £18.3m to be spent on the park and the new theatre

• section 106 contributions from Hampshire County Council and Test Valley Borough Council

• TVBC New Homes Bonus funding

• money collected through the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL)

• the river works are fully funded by Southern Water through their Chalk Stream Resilience Fund

Test Valley Borough Council will maintain the park as part of its wider portfolio of green spaces across the borough. A management and maintenance plan is being developed to cover both ecological and landscape elements. The Council will fund this ongoing work as part of its existing responsibilities.

At this stage, there are no plans for permanent pitches in the riverside park. This may be reviewed in future depending on demand. For events held in the park, pitches will be allocated using the Council’s usual process for town centre events.