Editing Test Valley (section)

==Governance==
{{Infobox legislature
|name=Test Valley Borough Council
|logo_pic = Test Valley Borough Council logo.svg
|logo_res = 200px
|house_type = Non-metropolitan district
|leader1_type = [[Mayors in England|Mayor]]
|leader1 = Gordon Bailey
|party1= <br/>[[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]]
|election1= 14 May 2025<ref>{{cite web |title=Council minutes, 14 May 2025 |url=https://democracy.testvalley.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=136&MId=3909 |website=Test Valley Borough Council |access-date=27 May 2025}}</ref>
|leader2_type = [[Leader of the Council|Leader]]
|leader2 = Phil North
|party2= <br/>[[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]]
|election2= 10 May 2017
|leader3_type = [[Chief Executive]]
|leader3 = Andy Ferrier
|party3= <!-- Non-political role -->
|election3= 15 June 2020<ref>{{cite news |title=New Chief Executive for Test Valley |url=https://www.testvalley.gov.uk/news/2020/jun/new-chief-executive-for-test-valley |access-date=13 November 2020 |work=Test Valley Borough Council News |date=11 June 2020}}</ref>
|political_groups1 =
;Administration (26)
:{{Color box |{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}} |border=darkgray}} [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]] (26)
;Opposition (17)
:{{nowrap|{{Color box |{{party color|Liberal Democrats (UK)}} |border=darkgray}} [[Liberal Democrats (UK)|Liberal Democrat]] (17)}}
|seats=43 councillors 
|structure1 = Test Valley Borough Council 2023 Composition.svg
|structure1_res= 250px
|last_election1 = [[2023 Test Valley Borough Council election|4 May 2023]]
|next_election1 = 6 May 2027
|term_length=4 years 
|session_room = Andover - Beach Hurst - geograph.org.uk - 1159990.jpg
|session_res =
|meeting_place = Beech Hurst, Weyhill Road, Andover, SP10{{nbsp}}3AJ
|website={{URL|www.testvalley.gov.uk}}
}}
Test Valley Borough Council provides [[Non-metropolitan district|district-level]] services. [[Non-metropolitan county|County-level]] services are provided by [[Hampshire County Council]]. The whole district is also covered by [[civil parish]]es, which form a third tier of local government.<ref>{{cite legislation UK|type=act|act=Local Government Act 1972|year=1972|chapter=70|access-date=31 May 2023}}</ref>

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.<ref>{{cite web |title=Members |url=https://www.newforestnpa.gov.uk/about-us/members/ |website=New Forest National Park |access-date=12 November 2023}}</ref>

===Political control===
The council has been under [[Conservative Party (UK)|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:<ref name=compositions>{{cite web |title=Compositions Calculator |url=https://www.electionscentre.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/composition_calc.html |access-date=26 November 2024 |website=The Elections Centre |publisher=University of Exeter}} (Put "Test Valley" in search box to see specific results.)</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
! colspan=2|Party in control || Years
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Independent politician}} || 1974–1976
|-
| {{Party name with colour|No overall control}} || 1976–1979
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Conservative Party (UK)}} || 1979–1995
|-
| {{Party name with colour|No overall control}} || 1995–1999
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Conservative Party (UK)}} || 1999–present
|}

===Leadership===
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:<ref>{{cite web |title=Past leaders of the council |url=https://www.testvalley.gov.uk/aboutyourcouncil/electedrepresentatives/past-leaders-council |website=Test Valley Borough Council |access-date=19 July 2022}}</ref>

{| class=wikitable
! Councillor !! colspan=2|Party !! From !! To !! Notes
|-
| John Morgan || {{party name with colour|Conservative Party (UK)}} || align=right|1980 || align=right|1985 ||
|-
| [[Roy Perry]] || {{party name with colour|Conservative Party (UK)}} || align=right|1985 || align=right|4 May 1994 ||
|-
| Eileen Haselden<ref>{{cite web |title=Council minutes, 4 May 1994 |url=https://democracy.testvalley.gov.uk/CeListDocuments.aspx?CommitteeId=136&MeetingId=887&DF=04%2f05%2f1994&Ver=2 |website=Test Valley Borough Council |access-date=26 December 2024}}</ref> || {{party name with colour|Conservative Party (UK)}} || align=right|4 May 1994 || align=right|17 May 1995 ||
|-
| Eileen Haselden || {{party name with colour|Conservative Party (UK)}} || rowspan=2 align=right|17 May 1995 || rowspan=2 align=right|14 May 1997 || rowspan=2|Joint leaders
|-
| Mark Cooper || {{party name with colour|Liberal Democrats (UK)}}
|-
| Mark Cooper<ref>{{cite web |title=Council minutes, 14 May 1997 |url=https://democracy.testvalley.gov.uk/Data/Council/19970514/Agenda/hAkIMu749tFFyLA1VFp7tH2fLVe3.pdf |website=Test Valley Borough Council |access-date=26 December 2024}}</ref> || {{party name with colour|Liberal Democrats (UK)}} || align=right|14 May 1997 || align=right|6 May 1998 ||
|-
| Norman Arnell<ref>{{cite web |title=Council minutes, 6 May 1998 |url=https://democracy.testvalley.gov.uk/Data/Council/19980506/Agenda/y12fb3LOn0jkSseQfYvJXm2sbCNf8.pdf |website=Test Valley Borough Council |access-date=26 December 2024}}</ref> || {{party name with colour|Conservative Party (UK)}} || align=right|6 May 1998 || align=right|19 May 1999 ||
|-
| Ian Carr<ref>{{cite web |title=Council minutes, 19 May 1999 |url=https://democracy.testvalley.gov.uk/Data/Council/19990519/Agenda/GQbp82b7c5nenDCN92fIihndr2ya.pdf |website=Test Valley Borough Council |access-date=26 December 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Robinson |first1=James |title=Test Valley Borough Council leader Ian Carr to stand down after 18 years in role |url=https://www.andoveradvertiser.co.uk/news/15177650.test-valley-borough-council-leader-ian-carr-to-step-down-after-18-years-in-the-role/ |access-date=26 December 2024 |work=Andover Advertiser |date=23 March 2017}}</ref> || {{party name with colour|Conservative Party (UK)}} || align=right|19 May 1999 || align=right|10 May 2017 ||
|-
| Phil North<ref>{{cite web |title=Council minutes, 10 May 2017 |url=https://democracy.testvalley.gov.uk/Data/Council/201705101100/Agenda/qpUT3rUdOeDG2bv0ILAzMzS0tHCt2.pdf |website=Test Valley Borough Council |access-date=26 December 2024}}</ref> || {{party name with colour|Conservative Party (UK)}} || align=right|10 May 2017 || align=right| ||
|}

===Composition===
Following the [[2023 Test Valley Borough Council election|2023 election]], the composition of the council was:<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/ng-interactive/2023/may/04/elections-2023-results-live-local-council-england#le-full-results|title=Local elections 2023: live council results for England|work=The Guardian}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
! colspan=2| Party
! Councillors
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Conservative Party (UK)}} || align=center|26
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Liberal Democrats (UK)}} || align=center|17
|-
! colspan=2|Total !! align=center|43
|}

The next election is due in 2027.<ref>{{cite web |title=Test Valley |url=https://www.localcouncils.co.uk/councils/?council=test_valley |website=Local Councils |publisher=Thorncliffe |access-date=27 May 2025}}</ref>

===Elections===
{{see also|Test Valley Borough Council elections}}
Since the last boundary changes in 2019 the council has comprised 43 [[councillor]]s representing 20 [[Wards and electoral divisions of the United Kingdom|wards]], with each ward electing one, two or three councillors. Elections are held every four years.<ref>{{cite legislation UK|type=si|si=The Test Valley (Electoral Changes) Order 2018|year=2018|number=36|access-date=14 November 2023}}</ref>

===Premises===
[[File:Guildhall, High Street, Andover (NHLE Code 1236337) (July 2022) (3).JPG|thumb|[[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.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Borrett |first1=David |title=Andover History: The tale of the mighty Beech Hurst |url=https://www.andoveradvertiser.co.uk/news/19091078.mighty-beech-hurst/ |access-date=14 November 2023 |work=Andover Advertiser |date=20 February 2021}}</ref> The council also maintains a smaller office at the former Magistrates' Court on Church Street in Romsey.<ref>{{cite web |title=Test Valley Borough Council |url=https://www.testvalley.gov.uk/ |access-date=14 November 2023}}</ref> Full council meetings are held alternately at [[Andover Guildhall]] and at Crosfield Hall in Romsey.<ref name=minutes>{{cite web |title=Council minutes |url=https://democracy.testvalley.gov.uk/mgCalendarMonthView.aspx |website=Test Valley Borough Council |access-date=19 July 2022}}</ref>