Plan to demolish Lymington police station for retirement homes set for approval after NFDC and Churchill Retirement Living strike deal over affordable housing

CONTROVERSIAL plans to demolish Lymington police station to build 32 retirement flats have been recommended for approval by New Forest District Council with extra funding for affordable housing.

Campaigners were hoping to block the proposal by Churchill Retirement Living, which is set to return to the planning committee on Wednesday 8th December.

Previously the committee deferred a decision over the plan, to tear down the Southampton Road building to make way for 21 one-bed and 11 two-bed apartments, plus communal facilities and 12 parking spaces.

That was so officers could negotiate with the developer over the appropriate level of affordable housing contribution.

Churchill initially offered £584,000, but NFDC planning head Claire Upton-Brown suggested it was looking at a figure of £1.5m.

However, a newly released report, authored by case officer Warren Simmons, revealed NFDC is prepared to accept a £970,000 offer by Churchill.

After the deferral, it said, Churchill offered £890,000 – so the council consulted Bruton Knowles LLP chartered surveyors, an independent specialist on development viability.

During further discussions Churchill claimed its previous viability figures did not include the £50,000 cost of nitrate mitigation.

"Having added this figure, the revised advice is that a contribution of £970,000 could be sought as the highest achievable contribution for this development," the report said.

"The proposed development is considered acceptable in principle in that it would provide 32 new units of accommodation for older people (for which there is a clear demonstrable need) in a sustainable town centre location, and would make an appropriate (financial) contribution towards the provision of affordable housing in the area."

As reported in the A&T, the development has proved highly contentious, with 1,400 people signing a petition against it and Cllr Barry Dunning – the town’s county councillor and an NFDC member – and conservation group the Lymington Society criticising it.

They believe the town already has enough retirement housing, adding young people a re being "driven out" by high house prices.

There were also objections that it was overdevelopment, out of character and had insufficient parking and turning space.

Churchill, established by multi-millionaire brothers Spencer and Clinton McCarthy, backed the scheme as a way of meeting the need for older people's accommodation.

Its application said: "It is acknowledged that there is a ‘critical’ need for the delivery of older people housing in the country and a significant pressing need within the administrative boundary of the council."