From Our Files: Oil kills sea birds...council’s castle plan...MP’s vote on consent
McCarthy & Stone’s proposed development for Station Road, New Milton, which is to be the subject of a public meeting at Upper Arnewood School, Gore Road, on Wednesday.
On the left of the picture is the existing Osborne House, then the proposed theatre, over a supermart, and sloping fronted flats over shops with offices over a multi-storey car park behind.
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OIL which has appeared in the sea between Barton and Milford during the last fortnight’s gale has claimed the lives of nearly 50 sea birds.
Once tarred there is no escape for the helpless birds which are eventually thrown up on the beach to be collected by council beach foreman.
To date they have found 17 guillemots, eight razortills, three seagulls and three cormorants on Hordle Beach, six guillemots and a sea gull at Barton and nine guillemots at Milford.
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CHRISTCHURCH Council has decided to go ahead with the compulsory purchase of Highcliffe Castle. This decision was reached after a two and a half hour private session of the council when a policy for opening up most of the 14 acre site to the public was mapped out.
The council had hoped to acquire the castle from its owners, a group of local businessmen, by agreement but they have been unable to come to any settlement.
Hampshire County Council had originally wanted to take over 2.3 acres of the land with the intention of siting an institutional building there and Christchurch Council still feels that this would be the proper use for that area whether by arrangement with Dorset County Council within whose boundaries it will fall in April or with anyone else.
The rest of the land the council would expect to keep more or less in its present condition subject to some necessary improvements.
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NO action is being taken by the S. W. Hants Divisional Planning Committee on a letter from Solent Protection Society concerning the condition of Lymington Council’s civic amenities refuse tip at Pennington Marshes.
But in a reply the chairman Major C Zeigler agreed that the tip was a “hideous blot” on the landscape and its use must be discontinued at the earliest opportunity.
The society said that motor vehicles “dumped” on the site were “purposely set on fire, and from these fires, arose noxious clouds of black smoke.”
Lymington Alderman R. H. Alderson agreed the tip was an “eyesore” and “in the wrong place” but pointed out the difficulty of finding another site where the public could take their rubbish.
Another Lymington Alderman B. J. J. West said it was “greatly exaggerating” to call the area one of “outstanding natural beauty” and the number of old cars had also been exaggerated.
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AN emergency meet of Lymington Council's Coast Defence Committee was called after a report of a big cliff slump behind the most westerly bastion next to Naish Estate.
An area of some 50 yards by 20 yards landwards became "mobile" due to heavy seas and very wet conditions and in moving forward took piling with it.
25 YEARS AGO
DR JULIAN LEWIS New Forest East MP gave a speech staunchly objecting to lowering the homosexual age of consent from 18 to 16 at the second reading debate on the Sexual Offences (Amendment) Bill on Tuesday which he voted against but which was carried by an overwhelming majority.
Before beginning his speech in the House of Commons Dr Lewis denied he was homophobic and said it was “outrageous, monstrous and unfair for people to be open to blackmail, public humiliation and the destruction of their professional career because they happen to be homosexual.”
He explained that for him the debate was “not primarily about homosexuality” but that his main concerns were the transmission of diseases as the Bill “legitimises a dangerous physical activity that will increase radically the prospects of boys and girls contracting fatal diseases and the protection of both male and female 16 and 17 year old children from “predators.”
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BROCKENHURST parish council have learned that the Neighborhood Watch chairman for Chestnut Road Peter Tipping has written to the county’s area surveyor concerning a newly planted chestnut tree replacing one damaged by Highland cattle – the third to be replaced in three years.
“These cattle particularly use their long horns to twist around the branches and pull them down to eat the leaves, thus breaking the branches. Wire guards are not high enough, or wide enough, “wrote Mr Tipping.
A reply from the council noted that: “A half tonne cow with horns over a metre long determined to wreak havoc takes a lot of stopping.”
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A CLAIM by district council planning officers that two holiday lets at a farm would harm the New Forest has been rejected by the planning inspector who granted permission for the scheme.
The council argued against an application by J. & M. Stallard & Son that allowing the two units in an outbuilding at Burgate Manor Farm, Burgate, equated to the creation of two new dwellings.
It said that together with the use of them as holiday lets would lead to a more intensive use of the countryside and harm the sensitive rural area.
But the planning inspector said the homes were “modest” and activities around the farm would be of interest to holidaymakers.
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INFANT and junior schoolchildren in the New Milton area look set to be given something to remember the Millennium with.
Following public criticism cash strapped councillors have had second thoughts and are recommending the town council dip into its reserve funds to buy commemorative cups.
The mugs for between 1,500 to 2,000 children will cost about £2,000 which when the idea was considered by the Millennium working party in 1997 was considered “prohibitive.”
The rethink followed calls from residents to give the children something to mark the new century. Geoff Field said: “We pay enough rates to be able to give them something.”
Amenities chairman John Hutchins agreed saying: “It’s a one off occasion and we should go for it.”
