ALTON came one step closer last week to witnessing the return its community radio.

If licensed, it will take on the name of Wey Valley Community Radio – the name used in November 1992 when the original community station opened in Alton.

Several of the team involved in that station have now come together to resurrect the Wey Valley Community Radio Association (WVCRA), with a view to relaunching a similar station in Alton.

And on Tuesday last week chairman Paul Le Feuvre travelled to London to deliver the licence application to Ofcom.

He said: "It has been a rush to complete the 49-page document in time for the deadline, but we made it and we should know within six to eight weeks if we have been awarded a Local Community Radio Licence."

If successful, the station will be aimed at the 50-plus year olds, with music from the 1900s to the 1970s, mixed with speech-based programmes from local community groups.

Programmes will be broadcast round-the-clock, with many repeated throughout the 24-hour period.

A website is under construction so news about the station will be readily available.

The WVCRA is in negotiations over accommodation and it is expected to cost in the region of £20k a year to run the station, expected to be manned solely by volunteers.

Because of the nature of the community station, it cannot be seen to compete in terms of target audience or impact of the financial wellbeing of any independent commercial station and will not be allowed to take on advertising. It will therefore have to rely on donations, sponsorship and fundraising.

This will be particularly poignant for Wey Valley as the original station formed the basis for the development of Alton's own commercial station, having been taken over first by Allied Radio and then by the Mercury Group before becoming part of the Tindle Radio Group in the form of Delta FM which operates out of Bordon.

But the WVCRA team have already received growing support, including encouragement from the leader of East Hampshire District Council, Ferris Cowper. For further information about the proposed Wey Valley Community Radio e-mail [email protected]">[email protected].