Lymington and Pennington Town Council’s request to list town hall as an asset of community value turned down by New Forest District Council

A DECISION not to list Lymington Town Hall as an asset of community value has been branded “incredibly disappointing” by the town’s former mayor.

As reported in the A&T, there were fears the building in Avenue Road would be lost under devolution and local government reorganisation plans.

Cllr Jack Davies previously said the town council was exploring “every option available” to keep the building in public use and had written to Hampshire County Council leader, Cllr Adams-King, expressing his concerns.

It had also approached New Forest District Council, which uses the hall as its base along with the NPA, Citizens Advice and the town’s police station, to request it register the building in order to secure its future. However, it refused.

As part of the Localism Act 2011, assets of community value can be nominated by parish councils or groups with a connection to the community. If accepted, groups are then given a six-month window to be able to put a bid in when the asset goes up for sale.

Cllr Davies told the A&T: “I’m incredibly disappointed that the district council has decided the town hall cannot be listed as an asset of community value.

“If I was being cynical, I would think the district council rejected the application because they still have plans to demolish the town hall for housing. Whatever the reason, I think there could be grounds to appeal the decision and I will be urging my fellow town councillors to do just that.”

In a report, NFDC’s chief executive Kate Ryan said the application should not be granted, adding: “In the opinion of the local authority the actual current use of the building or other land does not further the social wellbeing or social interests of the local community, and it is not realistic to think that there can be nonancillary use of the building or other land which will further – whether or not in the same way – the social wellbeing or social interests of the local community.

“It therefore does not meet the criteria set out in the Localism Act 2011 to be eligible for listing.”