Lymington and Pennington Town Council release £439,000 to Lymington Community Association for centre refurbishment

NEARLY half a million pounds will be released so work can finish on the Lymington community centre revamp.

Lymington and Pennington Town Council previously agreed to match-fund a total of £900,000 raised by Lymington Community Association to fund its Celebrating 70 Project for the overhaul.

The authority had already granted £461,000 to the project from its Buckland Farm Access Fund, and has now approved a final grant payment of £439,000, after the community association independently raised the final £550,000 it needs.

In a supporting letter to the council, the association said: “The redevelopment programme has reached the stage where we can begin major works on the main building leading to the rebuilding of the 1950s Malt Café which is the social heart of the centre’s community activities.

“We recently obtained NFDC planning permission for the demolition and reconstruction of the café which is located in a sensitive conservation area. This was a major milestone in the programme.”

The letter said the refurbishment work already completed include the pottery and the Fuller kitchen, the Wellington corridor and kitchen, the Normandy room, plus the installation of a new, enlarged first floor lift.

It also includes the removal of the centre’s Wellington staircase and the installation of two new toilets on the first floor, plus the re-configuration of the toilets on the ground floor to include a changing facility.

Lymington Community Association centre manager Rachel Smith told the council: “None of the centre’s improvements could have been accomplished without the council’s pledge.

“We’re now comfortably able to match the remaining £439,000 (from the council).”

In a report to the full council, officers said: “To date £461,000 has been granted to the project on a match-funded basis.

“These have funded projects following a predetermined plan, designed to minimise disruption and to provide a systematic basis for each phase.

“The remaining funds earmarked (£439,000) will contribute towards (the next phase) of the project. The community association has written to the town council requesting the remainder of the funds.”

The scheduled work is set to take place during the spring and summer 2024.

Councillors voted unanimously in favour of transferring £439,000 from the Buckland Farm Access Fund to Lymington Community Association.