THE FORMER home of the Daily Echo could be demolished should plans be approved by civic chiefs.

An application to demolish Newspaper House on Test Lane has been submitted to Southampton City Council.

If approved, it will see the demolition of the former printworks, office building, and associated service buildings.

The plans were submitted by Salmon Development Limited, which wants to redevelop the site.


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The proposals outline plans for three buildings for general industrial use, or storage and distribution.

It will include associated access, parking and landscape and infrastructure works.

The Daily Echo was based at Newspaper House from 1997 and the development was built for Southern Newspapers.

The Echo left the Test Lane offices and printworks in 2020 just before the first coronavirus lockdown.


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The team is now based in Ocean Village overlooking the marina.

Should the demolition be approved, signage stating ‘No Access for Demolition/Construction Traffic, Use M271 Junction 1 Only’ would be put in at the Gover Road roundabout.

The application states: "Under no circumstances shall any vehicles whatsoever turn left from the site onto Test Lane southwards or arrive at the site travelling northbound along Test Lane and turn right into the site."

Demolition vehicles will be advised of the designated routes to and from the site.

The route for all vehicles will be assigned to "direct and strategic roads" and drivers will be "expected to comply".

The routes include from the south via the A35 or A33 and M271, and from the north via the M27 and M271.

The plans state that consideration will be "given to locally planned development works" in a bid to minimise the impact for those who use the routes regularly.

Suppliers will avoid undertaking deliveries and waste removals between 7am and 10am and 4pm and 7pm on weekdays.

All works traffic, including deliveries and site visits will be supervised, managed, and policed by trained banksmen.

An estimated 14 parking spaces will be provided for contractors' vehicles. There will be no contractor parking on adjacent roads.

A decision is yet to be made on the plans.

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