The Advertiser and Times’ retrospective of 2023
January
A BID by a developer to turn space for an art gallery and restaurant at Lymington Shores into nine flats has been refused – despite some residents living there pleading for it to be approved.
Apartment owners at the former Webb’s chicken factory site wrote to New Forest District Council asking it allow the plan. In 17 letters of support, they argued the empty units had become an “eyesore”, subject to vandalism, and a “magnet to disruptive youths”.
But NFDC disagreed, saying Redrow should stick with its original promises of providing an art gallery and restaurant for the town, as agreed as part of its planning consent more than 10 years ago.
One couple accused NFDC and some locals of having “historical prejudices” against Redrow and Lymington Shores. They claimed: “There is absolutely no chance of a new restaurant being opened, and with empty shops in Lymington there is no market for any of this development.”
February
A BURGLAR who raided a string of businesses in New Milton town centre has been jailed for more than two years.
William Sheen (26), of Clarks Close, Ringwood, pleaded guilty to the offences and was sentenced to 28 months at Southampton Crown Court.
His crimes were among a raft of incidents in New Milton last year that prompted some traders to form a vigilante group to protect their property.
He was tracked down and apprehended by Hampshire police officers using DNA evidence and CCTV footage.
March
A NEW Forest Conservative councillor has been accused of racism by BBC football pundit Ian Wright and is suspended from her party after she branded him a “typical black hypocrite” on Twitter.
Veteran local politician Cllr Alexis McEvoy made the comment – including a devil emoji – to her 500-plus followers on Saturday amid the ongoing row over Gary Lineker’s tweets comparing the government’s language on immigration to that of 1930s Germany.
“A woman in power, she’s gone onto Twitter and put out something so racist and said she didn’t mean to do so. Don’t come with these fake apologies about ‘I didn’t mean it’, because these people are the ones that give me energy to continue to try and fight for what is right and speak up for what is right.”
April
A NEW Forest trio have been jailed for more than 20 years after they were found guilty of being involved in an operation to smuggle £80,000 worth of cocaine to the UK.
Glynn Davies (44) and partner Sheena Spedding (24), of Church Hill, Milford, and Lee Hollister (35), of Nursery Grove, Pennington, were part of a year-long operation to bring the class A drug from Peru.
An investigation by the National Crime Agency revealed Davies was working with his girlfriend and business partner to move the drugs, making several trips to South America in 2017 and 2018.
May
THERE was contrasting weather for coronation celebrations across the area over the weekend.
New Milton’s event on the rec – held on Saturday and broadcasting King Charles III’s big day live on a big screen – bore the brunt of the downpours, heavily affecting attendance numbers.
But It was a different story for Sunday’s celebrations at Lymington’s Woodside Park which saw bright sunshine and bumper crowds.
A cavalcade and picnic, which was due to be held on Monday in Burley, has been postponed until 29th May. Everton’s occasion on the same day did go ahead despite very “damp” conditions, a spokesperson said.
June (No pic)
THE New Forest has been highlighted as culturally lacking after Arts Council England revealed there was little investment and low community engagement compared with the national average.
The district council is now considering developing a cultural strategy in response which, if agreed, will focus on ways to boost investment in the arts.
A report due to go before Cabinet members at their next meeting states: “The New Forest was identified as one of 54 priority places by the Arts Council England (ACE) in 2022 due to low cultural investment in the area.
“Community engagement in art and culture is below that of the national average and there is opportunity for increased investment and partnership working to increase engagement.”
July
A LYMINGTON man’s search for the ‘guardian angel’ who saved his life after he crashed his motorbike and severed an artery in his arm has successfully ended after four years.
Charlie Carnegie (24) feared he was bleeding to death after the accident, which occurred as he approached the Chewton Bunny bridge on Christchurch Road in New Milton late one night in 2019.
A woman who had just finished a nightshift stopped to help, but Charlie did not get the chance to ask her name or say thank you. He finally tracked her down through a social media appeal and the pair recently met for a coffee.
“If it wasn’t for her, I wouldn’t be here now. She totally saved my life – and the thing is, how do you ever thank someone for that?”
August
A BABY boy suffering from a rare genetic condition whose life was saved by a £1.8m drug – one of the most expensive in the world – is able to talk, smile, sing nursery rhymes and even blow kisses.
Harry Hughes was given the lifesaving treatment when he was six months old after being born with the serious genetic disorder, type 1 spinal muscular atrophy (SMA).
A rare and fatal condition that causes respiratory problems, paralysis and muscle weakness, it also leads to progressive loss of movement. If he had not received the infusion of Zolgensma gene therapy which replaced the SMN1 gene which Harry lacked, he might never have lived to see his first birthday.
September
PARISH councils across the New Forest are facing massive increases in waste collection fees which could see tax precepts rocket or community bins removed entirely.
Currently paying no fees for their collection, Beaulieu Parish Council will face a bill of around £11,500 plus VAT for nine community and dog waste bins. Milford Parish Council has been told its charges will increase from around £500 a year to more than £5,700.
The A&T has been forced to make a Freedom of Information request to NFDC after the council refused to provide a list of the current charges for parishes, and those anticipated for the coming financial year.
October
A WOMAN who was reunited with her stolen dog weeks after he went missing has thanked the New Forest community for their “huge generosity and kindness” in helping track him down.
Lysbeth Fox was losing hope of ever seeing her beloved cockapoo Cookie again after he escaped from her parents’ East Boldre home, and six weeks on had still not been seen.
Against all the odds, though, Lysbeth received a call from a man in Southampton saying he had Cookie after buying him in a children’s play park.
“Losing Cookie in the way we did, and not knowing what had happened to him or if he was still alive, has had a devastating impact on my family and I.”
November
A MAGISTRATE from Christchurch who unlawfully converted a property he owns has been ordered to pay back thousands in illegally obtained rent.
Ian Kendall, of Burley Road, Bockhampton, near Bransgore, was prosecuted by BCP Council after failing to comply with an enforcement notice requiring he demolish an unapproved extension at the property, which is also on Burley Road.
Ordering he pay proceeds of crime totalling £77,133, as well as an £8,000 fine and £7,877 in court charges, the judge said: “These offences were committed in order to obtain a financial advantage.”
December
A NEW Forest couple living with the “nightmare” of the NHS infected blood scandal has thanked a Forest MP whose revolt helped defeat a government vote on the matter.
Lesley Hughes was given contaminated blood after a serious car crash in 1970. As a result, she unknowingly contracted hepatitis C, which led to cirrhosis of the liver and subsequently liver cancer.
Sir Julian Lewis was one of 22 Conservative MPs to rebel and vote in favour of an amendment to the Victims and Prisoners Bill, which will require the government to set up a body to administer compensation within three months of the bill becoming law.
