A BERATED landmark in Petersfield town centre was considered as a possible home for East Hampshire District Council.

But an influential councillor believes it's highly unlikely that the authority will move from Penns Place any time soon.

David Parkinson has revealed that EHDC looked at relocating its headquarters to the Old Telephone Exchange building.

The monolith beside Swan Street car park is arguably the town's most unloved building and is only part used.

It's probably in need of modernisation but there's no doubt it's in a prime central location and has plenty of adjacent parking. However, the keys won't be handed over to EHDC, according to Mr Parkinson, who insists the authority is not drawing up plans to leave.

The councillor, who is stepping down in the spring, also doubts that development will ever take place on the Penns Place fields.

"Four-hundred homes, in my opinion, will never happen there in my lifetime," Mr Parkinson told East Meon Parish Council.

"We thought about other sites in Petersfield and looked at the Old Telephone Exchange, but it's a firm intention of this administration not to move out of Penns Place.

"I also think that the likelihood of Petersfield Rugby Club giving up its fields is very unlikely."

The emerging Petersfield Neighbourhood Plan will state where the town's residents would like development to occur over the next two decades.

But Penns Place has not been consistently mentioned in the process, in stark contrast to usual suspects like Causeway Farm and Larcombe Road.