New Milton Advertiser 13th Nov 2020

Friday 13th November 2020 · 7

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News

Demolition approved for ‘eyesore’ club building

Repeat arsonist avoids jail

AN arsonist who twice set light to a hedge and fencing avoided prison when he appeared before magistrates. Michael Sherred (65), of School Lane, Ringwood, admit- ted the offences in the town on 11th May and 6th July. He also pleaded guilty to four counts of failing to answer police bail. The Southampton Bench

ruled prison was not appropri- ate due to Sherred’s mental health difficulties, as well as his early admissions and remorse. He was instead handed an 18-month community order, with an exclusion zone and a requirement to undergo reha- bilitation activity. He was also told to pay £250 compensation to the victim.

Plan brings new sport pavilion but loses area’s only theatre

there for cricket, football, hock- ey, bowls and tennis. “We believe the proposal is the most sustainable way for- ward for the site,” Mr Downing said. “It is far more aestheti- cally pleasing and provides the community with a sports facili- ty for many years to come.” The scheme had been sup- ported by 118 people as well as Fawley Parish Council and Hampshire County Council. There were 18 objections including Christine Talbot, musical director of the Water- side Musical Society. The Health and Safety Execu- tive had also objected but members were told that when NFDC had asked for clarification there had been no response. While committee mem- bers sympathised with those lobbying for a theatre space, they felt they could not turn down the proposal. “It’s a shame,” Cllr Arthur Davies said. “But we have to be realistic. This is a good scheme, although it does not cover ev- erything.” Cllr Anne Bellows added: “People have had four years to do something about this and nothing has been done, and now this does need to go and what has been proposed is workable.”

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BY JON WALLER

A FORMER social club has been given the green light to be torn down and replaced with a smaller venue in a move that will boost sports teams but lose the Waterside its only big per- forming arts space. New Forest District Council’s planning committee approved replacing the “eyesore” Hol- bury Club, off the A326 Long Lane, with a sport pavilion and garden. It has lain empty since 2016 following the collapse of the or- ganisation that managed it, Wa- terside Sport and Social Club. Members rejected pleas by some councillors, local musical theatre enthusiast Christopher Wortley and the Theatres Trust to reject or delay a decision. They had mooted the idea of giving the landowner and appli- cant, Fawley oil refinery opera- tor Esso, the chance to revisit the plans to incorporate a the- atre space. Since opening in 1951 the building had featured a cinema, theatre and performance space enjoyed by various amateur

The Holbury Club has lain empty since 2016. Right, the plans

groups until it was padlocked in 2016. Supporters insisted there was a demand for live theatre and comedians, which they said would intensify when the pan- demic ends. “This also has a local heritage which is significant,” Theatres Trust officer Tom Clarke told the committee, adding he be- lieved Esso failed to “truly ap- preciate, assess or investigate” its potential benefit. That view was backed by sev- eral committee members, in- cluding Cllr Rebecca Clark. She said the theatrical space was a

“cultural asset” and it would be “unconscionable” to lose it. Cllrs Sue Bennison, Hilary Brand and Anne Corbridge agreed but their stance was defeated as 14 committee members backed Esso’s pro- posal. Speaking for Esso, planning agent Simon Downing said it had decided it would “cost far too much” to rework the cur- rent building and maintain a theatre space. He claimed demand did not justify a performance space, the site had been repeatedly hit by vandals, and Esso had

already gone to “considerable” expense removing asbestos from the dilapidated building ahead of demolition. Esso, he said, wanted to go ahead with the overhaul which features a new, smaller sports pavilion and community gar- den, as well as more parking spaces. The company main- tains all the sports pitches

New £250k cash grant to help Forest’s homeless

A £250,000 grant for emergency accommodation for those made homeless has been secured by New Forest District Council. The cabinet member for housing, Cllr Jill Cleary, told the district council’s latest full meeting she was “delight- ed” with the government cash, which would make a “life-time difference to some of our most vulnerable”. “This will cover the costs of temporary accommodation for those at risk of rough sleeping through to the end of March 2021,” she said. “And provide the financial help that is needed to secure long-term rented accommoda- tion, plus the support required to help new tenants to sustain that accommodation.” Speaking to the A&T after the meeting, Cllr Cleary ex- plained that in light of the pan- demic, the government wanted people off the streets. “Those people sleeping rough will not have had access to any of the services they usual- ly would because everything is shut,” she said. Cllr Cleary accepted that

while homelessness was less of an issue in the New Forest than neighbouring towns and cities, there are what she termed the “hidden homeless”. “So people sleeping in tents in the Forest,” she explained. “There is no set rule on where these people are – they are found to varying degrees throughout the district.” BCP Council was allocated

a share of just over £5m of the £150m announced by the gov- ernment to increase the num- ber of homes available to local authorities. It will spend the money on increasing its supply of “move on” accommodation for people at risk of becoming homeless. It follows the pledge by the Con- servative Party to end rough sleeping by 2027.

Fordingbridge pupils with their new gear

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School pupils Roman about with a better historical view

CHILDREN at Fordingbridge Junior School will get closer to ancient history than ever, thanks to a generous gift from the Roman Society. It has paid for costumes and items such as spoons, bath house sandals and a full-size Roman officer’s helmet and plume. There is also an original Roman mosaic piece from an archaeological dig. Year 3 pupils were the first to enjoy the artefacts and were ex- cited to be able to have a taste of Roman life. The school previ- ously had to pay to hire Roman objects for lessons but are now able to keep a box of their own. A school spokesperson said: “Being able to teach through the use of artefacts, which can be seen and touched and felt, allows us to deepen the chil- dren’s understanding of their

Roman studies. “This is more important now than ever, at a time when cur- rently many other enrichment activities are unfortunately not possible. “We would like to say a huge thank you to the Roman Soci- ety for their support in funding these items and helping us to secure the future of our arte- fact-based teaching for many years to come.”

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