Campaigners stand firm over possible new Churchill Retirement Living bid for retirement flats at old Lymington police station

CAMPAIGNERS have promised to keep fighting after victory in the latest stage of the battle over redeveloping the old Lymington police station into retirement flats.

A government inspector has thrown out Churchill Retirement Living’s scheme for 32 homes at the site in Southampton Road after it challenged New Forest District Council’s refusal nearly a year ago.

Now there are fears the developer could return with a fresh plan as NFDC’s original reasons for refusing the proposals, which sparked widespread opposition, were mostly rejected at the appeal.

The inspector disagreed with claims that it would damage the nearby conservation area, have insufficient parking, add too many homes for older people and hike pressure on local services.

Instead, he mainly found against Churchill over the impact on the Solent of polluting nitrates from the homes’ wastewater, and uncertainty over how this could be mitigated.

Lymington and Pennington councillor Barry Dunning maintained more retirement homes were “totally unnecessary” and wanted the site handed over to a housing association to build affordable homes.

“The whole town is being altered by the fact that it is filling up with old people,” Cllr Dunning told the A&T.

“We need to have more young people to help care for the old people and to add more vibrancy to the town.”

Thanking all those who helped defeat Churchill’s appeal, he vowed any resubmission would be “fought vigorously by all concerned”.

Churchill told the A&T it was considering submitting a revised bid with fuller nitrate mitigation measures.

A spokesperson said: “Importantly, the inspector also agreed that there is an unmet local need for more retirement housing in Lymington and thereby endorses the future use of the site for this purpose.

“Alongside reviewing the legality of the inspector’s decision, we are currently considering our options, with consideration being given to a revised application with a suitable nitrate solution to overcome the sole reason for refusal.”

More than 1,400 people signed a New Forest West Labour Party petition against the proposal which was also opposed by Lymington and Pennington Town Council and civic group the Lymington Society.

NFDC’s planning committee rejected the plans in December last year, arguing Lymington needed more affordable homes for young people and first-time buyers.

Labour’s Jerry Weber was “surprised” the inspector had rejected most of NFDC’s grounds for refusal, adding: “We had a huge response from local residents who think there is too much sheltered accommodation in Lymington, much of it unoccupied.

“They want to see truly affordable homes in the area.”

Measures to mitigate nitrate pollution, which can spawn algae that smothers underwater flora and fauna, can include investing in nature schemes elsewhere to offset the impact.

The Lymington Society was concerned Churchill will now reapply with a revised scheme by buying up agricultural land, taking it out of production.

As the site is still owned by Hampshire police, the society has written again to the police and crime commissioner (PCC), Donna Jones, demanding she puts it back on the market for affordable homes development.

Society chair Don Mackenzie said: “The ‘offsetting’ of nitrates released by building work by taking valuable agricultural land out of use is a national scandal and we hope that this does not become an established method of allowing building schemes to go ahead and that NFDC and the Planning Inspectorate stick to their guns if another unsustainable ‘offset’ scheme is proposed for this site.”

He continued: “We hope that the PCC will bear in mind that this site is a community asset and should be disposed of for the benefit of the community, and not just for the highest possible price.

“The society will also continue to push for changes to the Local Plan which could help to prevent the housing supply in Lymington, and other communities, being distorted by the building of ever more unwanted retirement flats.”

Churchill’s plan would have seen the L-shaped building, dating back to about 1952, replaced with a block of 21 one-bed and 11 two-bed apartments.

It also included communal facilities, 12 parking spaces and landscaping.

Town council planning committee chair Cllr Andy Ash-Vie added: “It will continue to be an uphill battle against some harsh commercial realities, but we will keep on fighting for the town.”