A FRESH chapter in the life of a much-loved building began this week after Test Valley Borough Council took possession of Andover's Rooksbury Mill.

The mill and its associated ponds and streams had been used as a trout fishery for the past two decades. Now, under local authority ownership its future looks assured.

Chief executive Alan Jones told members of the council's overview and scrutiny committee that completion of the sale took place on Tuesday.

"The council's head of estates Don Whiteley has been on site checking the stock to see what has passed to the council and the condition of the property," said Mr Jones.

The indications are that there will be a lot less left on the site than originally feared and Mr Jones praised those working at Rooksbury who offered 'nothing but co-operation' and had been 'very helpful'.

"One thing that will be left is a quantity of fish but this will be nearer to 20,000 rather than the 50,000 we originally thought," said Mr Jones.

"These fish will be looked after in the short to medium term by a deal we have done with Anna Valley Trout Farm who will feed and dispose of the fish."

Fish will be sold in a way so as not to flood the market and damage other businesses.

The future of the mill and its surrounding land and water is to be looked into by a members' working group under the chairmanship of Councillor Alan Smith.

But how much the whole enterprise will cost to run was not revealed at the meeting.

Cllr Alan Marsh, asked: "What are the revenue implications of running Rooksbury Mill as a park?"

But the chief executive said: "That is not known and won't be known until the members' working group has met and the proposals costed out in detail.

"We are a member led organisation," Mr Jones insisted.