WHEN a government department approved Test Valley Borough Council's plans to change the look of Andover High Street many expected them to crack on with the work this spring.

There were some that even believed the materials had already been bought and the contractors' equipment was ready and waiting to move in.

But now council leader Ian Carr has revealed that work on the ground will not begin until this time next year at the earliest.

It could even be delayed later than that if Hampshire County Council is unwilling to co-operate.

In the council's latest capital programme the 'improvement scheme' for the Lower High Street is not scheduled to be completed for at least another 18 months.

The programme envisages a total spend on the scheme of £895,000, of which only £100,000 will be spent in 2003/04 with the biggest chunk of £750,000 earmarked for the financial year 2004/05.

Mr Carr said: "We are currently costing the scheme and looking at improving the materials we will be using in the Lower High Street.

"After the successful work to upgrade the Upper High Street we want to follow it through if we can."

He was optimistic that Hampshire County Council would not put obstacles in the way of the work and said Test Valley has it on paper that the county will not object to the changes if Test Valley won the battle to extinguish vehicular rights in the High Street.

However, the decision to grant permission was not as clear cut as Test Valley would have liked because the planning in-spector came out against the closure but was overridden by transport secretary Alistair Darling.