Town council allocates share of £1.7m windfall for Pennington improvements
FUNDS worth £500,000 have been allocated for planned community improvements at Pennington.
The pot of cash is proposed to be spent on an internal upgrade of the pavilion at the recreation ground off Lodge Road, as well as regeneration features at The Square in the heart of the neighbourhood.
Money has been earmarked by the town council from the £1.7m windfall it gained in 2017 from housebuilder Pennyfarthing in a land access deal for the 87-home development off Alexandra Road in Buckland.
Some of the Pennington portion will be spent reconfiguring the inside of the sports pavilion to create fresh community space and install new toilets, changing rooms and a kitchen.
The hope is to increase bookings at the dated facility, which is used by a nursery group as well as sports teams.
Funds will also go towards regenerating The Square, with new features being drawn up in a plan by Lymington-based architect PAD Studio. There are hopes to improve traffic management too in partnership with Hampshire County Council.
However, a town council spokesperson warned against expecting big changes soon, saying: “The Pennington projects are very much in their infancy, particularly the village aspect.
“Along with our own financial input we need to secure additional funding from Hampshire County Council for road improvements.
“Whilst a dialogue has started with Hampshire, at this stage we have not yet had success and will continue to pursue different funding sources that may be available from them. Until further funding has been secured, the village project would not be able to commence.”
The £900,000 lion’s share of the windfall, known as the Buckland Farm Access Fund, has been committed to the Lymington Centre and a programme of improvements by the Lymington Community Association.
The ambitious Celebration 70 project – to mark the centre’s diamond anniversary – includes extending the Fuller McLellan Hall rooms and installing a pottery area and kiln. So far £77,500 has been handed over.
The association recently appointed trust member Cllr Anna Rostand, who is on the town council, to be its new chair for a year.
At the latest town council meeting Cllr Rostand said: “I am very privileged to do that and hopefully take forward their exciting plans for development which the town council has made a substantial contribution to.
“They have hired a professional fundraiser because we have to match-fund the council’s money. I am hoping we will see some money coming in in due course.”
The remaining £2m has been divided into a two-year £100,000 grant fund; £100,000 for Lymington Quay; £50,000 for the seawater baths; and £50,000 for the New Forest Basics Bank based at Lymington United Reformed Church in the high street.
