IT is blue versus yellow across the Test Valley in this year's local elections since the chase for votes is headed by the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats.

The Conservatives are looking to develop the domination of seats that has seen them occupy almost twice as many as their nearest competitor, with 30 representatives across borough.

All 48 seats are up for grabs this year and the party has already secured three seats on the new borough council as other parties failed to find candidates to oppose members of David Cameron's blue camp, which is rising in popularity in the opinion polls.

With 16 seats in the last election, the Lib Dems will be looking hard to push themselves forward as a competitor to the Conservatives but will need to steal nine seats to topple the ruling party.

With more councillors in the southern area of the borough in and around Romsey, the party will eagerly be looking to strengthen its position to mirror the ruling power of its neighbours in Eastleigh.

Candidates for Labour will be fighting for a place on Test Valley Borough Council for the first time in decades.

The party is hoping that with all 48 seats in the running they will be able to get a foot in the door for the future, with 12 candidates in the running in ten of the wards, including seven seats in the southern Test Valley area.

UKIP is also looking for a seat on the council with six candidates up for election.

The council's only independent councillor David Bidwell of the King's Somborne, Michelmarsh and Timsbury ward is retiring this year and his is one of the seats that has now been taken early by the Conservatives as candidate Tony Ward stands unopposed.

But looking to continue an independent voice on the council is candidate John Smith, who has the difficult task of taking one of the three seats in the Andover Winton ward, where the three previous Tory councillors are all standing for re-election.

Issues that could be a factor at the polls include the council's integration of the Alternative Bin Collection - ABC - Scheme, which sees household waste collected once a fortnight.

The council phased in the scheme in February last year after it had proved a controversial issue in other Hampshire boroughs and unsuccessfully tested by Southampton City Council.

Conservatives say the scheme has improved recycling by 30 per cent but Lib Dems say that if they win control of the council they will immediately review the scheme, which was criticised by some residents during last year's hot summer as rotting rubbish resulted in maggot infestations.

Another hot issue for residents in the southern Test Valley area is the Tetra phone mast that is currently causing problems for residents in Valley Park and Chandler's Ford.

Local residents have pledged to fight the Airwave O2 mast in School Close, Chandler's Ford, which has been put up without permission.

It came just days after residents won a three-year battle to have a previous mast removed just 20m away from the new site.

Both Test Valley Borough Council and the county council have come under fire from residents for not doing enough to prevent the company erecting the mast, which has caused health fears from people living nearby.

The development of homes is another big issue that any ruling party would have to face.

The Borough Local Plan, which states that 1,200 new homes will have to be built in the Romsey area over the next four years, and choosing suitable land is often met with controversy.

In Romsey, the sale of land at the town's hospital has raised concerns with local residents since it was deemed surplus to NHS requirements last December.

Hospital chiefs said they would hold any decision to sell the land after concerns raised by the League of Friends.

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