HAMPSHIRE County Council has failed to defend its decision to place a bench, bin and bollard in the middle of the road in Andover town centre.

The county council has just completed the £600,000 six-month improvement scheme at the top of the High Street, but made a few decisions which has left business owners, councillors and residents baffled. Mayor of Test Valley Councillor Iris Andersen, who supported the businesses when they feared a drop-off in trade during the road’s closure for improvement, was shocked at the location.

“I cannot believe it,” she said.

“We have worked so hard down there keeping all those businesses happy.

“The works they have done on the road have made it look like a nice bit at the top of town, but I was devastated looking at that. Why would they put them there?”

Test Valley Borough Council leader Cllr Ian Carr said: “It looks a bit odd.

“I’m trying to find out why it’s there and what it’s doing there. I don’t know whether they are going to close that part of town off; I need to look at the plans again.

“We have got people working on it to see whether we need it there.”

One disgruntled Andover resident, who did not want to be named, said: “I despair; they have spent £600,000 on a cosmetic vanity project, when there are stretches of road, for example along Salisbury Road to the ever growing retail facility at the garden centre, which need work.

“Why would anyone place a bench in the middle of a road? The pavement could have been wider, or the bench placed further down into the shopping precinct.

“The black bollard that is protecting the bench is well placed to rip the rear axle out of a reversing larger vehicle, which could be messy and expensive. Who agreed the plans?”

Despite requests from the Andover Advertiser, at the time of going to press the county council had failed to respond.