Council Land Deal in Plan For Disco

Plans for a new Country Bumpkin, the Andover disco hall destroyed by fire in October 1983, are slowly taking shape – but it is unlikely to be built this year.
The owners, Anton Promotions, have again emphasised that the hall, a popular rendezvous for the young people would not be rebuilt on the East Street site.
The news will be welcomed especially by East Street residents who are fiercely opposed to a replacement hall opposite their homes.

After the blaze the owners agreed that Test Valley Council would take over the East Street site in exchange for land at Enham Arch where Anton Promotions were also given planning permission to turn the Jehovah’s Witness meeting hall into an entertainment centre.

A spokesman for Anton Promotions said that contracts had now been signed with the Jehovah’s Witness; when negotiations were completed for further piece of land at Enham Arch they would sign the land exchange deal with the council.

The spokesman added: “It has taken much longer than we anticipated. As soon aw we have it all wrapped up we will apply for detailed planning permission and then start building but I doubt if anything will happen until the early part of next year”.

Anton Promotions’ application for permission to rebuild at East Street will again come before the Northern Area planning sub-committee on Thursday. But the spokesman stressed: “We will withdraw it as soon as we sign the exchange land deal with the council”.

(The above article appeared in the Southern Evening Echo 11-3-1984)

Special thanks to the archives of Lisa Fittall for the above article

28.03.2009. 22:20

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