‘Significant steps’ for Ashley welcomed by New Milton Town Council with shopping parade revamp and new youth building

LONG-awaited work to improve Ashley’s dilapidated shopping parade is set to start in May, as the village’s new youth building nears completion.

Celebrating the progress of both projects, New Milton Town Council amenities chair Cllr Geoffrey Blunden said they represented “significant steps” for the area.

A recent meeting saw the committee vote to recommend £15,000 in CIL (community infrastructure levy) funding go towards the £30,000 parade work.

This will match-fund the £15,000 UK Shared Prosperity Funding already agreed by New Forest District Council.

As reported in the A&T, the town council decided to take the matter into its own hands last year after being shocked by Hampshire County Council’s inability to provide funding for landscaping work.

Key work will include footpath resurfacing, mounted floral baskets and other minor decorations, along with ongoing maintenance.

Following Cllr Judith Baker’s request at a previous meeting for trees to replace those which had previously died, three flowering cherry trees had been added.

Although these were not included in the budgeting for the scheme, Cllr Blunden said he would put his district councillor’s grant towards it.

Work on the enhancement, which Cllr Blunden called “an excellent, worthwhile scheme”, is due to get under way in early May.

Estates and facilities manager Mark Jeffries told the meeting the new Ashley Youth Club building, off Norman’s Lane, was finally nearing completion.

The development will host activities for youngsters as well as provide storage for the adjoining New Milton Rugby Club.

Car park resurfacing was “the final jigsaw piece”, Mr Jeffries said, with the work expected to be carried out by the start of May before the facility is launched.

This will be the culmination of a major project at the Ashley recreation ground site, which also saw a redevelopment of the play park.

Cllr Blunden concluded: “With the completion of this work, we’ll have really brought that recreation ground up to scratch.

“Coupled with the parade, that’s some significant steps with Ashley.”