New Milton Advertiser 4th Dec 2020

Friday 4th December 2020 · 9

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Wildlife warning on plan to open up coastal path

Retirement sees new clerk for parish council

BRANSGORE Parish Council has appointed a new clerk fol- lowing the retirement of Edwin Macknamara after 12 years in the role. Credited with steering the council through many ambi- tious community enhancement projects, highlights of his time include overseeing the installa- tion of a new multi-use games area, outdoor gym and zip wire, and acquisition of the free- hold pavilion site with facilities for cricket, croquet and foot- ball. Mr Macknamara said: “I have enjoyed working alongside the parish councillors and my col- leagues and supporting the many users of the village hall and the other facilities.

“I hope that my successor Lexa will get as much satis- faction from working with the Bransgore community as I have over the past 12 years of my life.” New parish clerk Lexa Ken- nard was born and raised in Bransgore, but now lives in Ver- wood with her three sons. She said: “I am an account- ant, and have mostly worked in an industrial setting. However, as my children are becoming more independent, I feel that I can broaden my horizons and face new challenges. “I am very happy to be the new clerk to the parish council – back to my roots! I hope to be as good a fit to the job as my predecessor.”

Scheme could harm Beaulieu River haven, says Lord Montagu

endangered species. “Moreover, as overall num- bers of people walking, cycling and driving in the countryside increase, so the health of the ecosystem will be eroded.” Currently the environment secretary’s determination re- garding the coastal access pro- posals for Highcliffe to Calshot, which includes Beaulieu, is on hold as a result of a European Court ruling. It means Natural England must review the previously un- dertaken assessments of the impact of proposals on Europe- an protected sites. A spokesperson for Natural England said it had written to landowners requesting any new evidence linked to the potential impact of the coastal path. She added: “Once the as- sessments has been reviewed and updated, which we expect to be complete by spring 2021, the secretary of state can con- tinue the determination of the proposals, which will take into account any advice from the Planning Inspectorate’s consid- eration of objections.”

BY ROZ WATERS

WILDLIFE havens along the banks of the Beaulieu Riv- er could be ruined if Natural England progresses plans to open up miles of the New For- est coastline to walkers and cyclists, local landowner Lord Montagu has claimed. The stark warning was is- sued by Lord Montagu as he reflected in his annual estate report on the “extraordinary pressures” placed on sensitive habitats and rare birds by thou- sands of visitors. Natural England aims to unlock a 2,700-mile England Coastal Path right of way around the country’s seashore. Locally the £270,000 project to improve access along the 35-mile stretch between High- cliffe and Calshot will focus on opening up routes along private land between Lymington and Thorns Beach, and woodland to the east of Beaulieu River. Lord Montagu said: “If the proposals for the coastal path are put into effect, our ability to manage sensitive sites close to the river will be so curtailed that the land may never return to favourable condition.” POLICE launched an arson probe after firefighters battled two overnight hedge fires in Hythe. The first incident was short- ly after 11.30pm on Wednesday 18th November as flames en- gulfed a section of hedge in Ro- man Road. Having spent about half an hour containing the emergen- cy, a fire crew from Hardley was sent to help colleagues tack- le a second incident in nearby Yelverton Avenue. The alarm had been raised shortly before midnight, with an eight-metre section of hedge alight. Firefighters alerted po- lice, who have classed both as arson. Police said on Twitter: “If anyone has information as to person/s responsible for these arson incidents please phone 101 in confidence so we can in- vestigate and deal.” MORE than £11m will be made available to help busi- nesses in the New Forest and Christchurch affected by the new coronavirus restrictions. New Forest District Council has been handed £3.6m by the government, and BCP Council £7.9m, to hand out in Addition- al Restrictions (Discretionary) Grants. Both councils will distribute up to £3,000 each to success- ful firms who seek help before the deadline of 12pm on Friday 29th January. The pot is specifical- ly aimed at businesses not previously eligible for the Local Restrictions Support Grant (LRSG) and that have been affected, but not necessarily closed, by national restrictions. Cllr Michael Harris, NFDC cabinet member for eco- nomic development, said: “This grant will provide vitally

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Lord Montagu (inset) wants Natural England to rethink plans to open more New Forest coastline to walkers

He pointed to the ongoing closure of a riverside board walk between Beaulieu and Buckler’s Hard, and revealed that years of walking and cycling had compacted the ground within the woodland, which is in a Special Area of Conservation. “A recent survey has revealed that while there are some signs of improvement, the condition of this area remains far from satisfactory,” said Lord Mon- tagu. Issuing an appeal for visi- tors to allow it time to recover, he continued: “Unfortunately, some people are set on ignoring

the signs and continue to walk in this wood; their actions sim- ply compounding the damage already done.” Following the summer easing of lockdown restrictions, Lord Montagu said there were also many people misusing the riv- erside and coastline. He said: “This included fishing without a permit, the launching of paddle craft from unauthorised locations, and vandalism.” Although not intended to form part of the coastal path, Lord Montagu pointed to an incident when the bodies of two very rare chicks were found

on Gull Island at the mouth of Beaulieu River, after it was believed the parents were dis- turbed by trespassing paddle boarders. He warned: “It only takes the actions of a few ill-informed or irresponsible people to do huge damage to sensitive sites and

John Radin, DC

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Firefighters at the scene (Photo: Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service)

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important support for business- es which have already experi- enced considerable hardship. “The fund will help to retain local jobs and supply chains at a time of year which is so crit- ical to many businesses in the New Forest economy.” NFDC said the grant level it awards will be based on an- nual fixed premises costs for a business. Home-based firms will be eligible, providing they meet criteria. It will prioritise those in the retail, hospitality, events and leisure sectors or their immedi- ate supply chain, as well as oth- ers required to close by law that do not pay business rates or get the LRSG. BCP Council said its fund- ing will be distributed in three streams. The first will be open to applications from local firms not registered for business rates that have had to close, and oth-

ers kept open but “severely im- pacted”. Grants will be paid to busi- nesses for each 28-day period of national or Tier 3 local re- strictions, it said, adding the amount will vary from £934 to £3,000. Stream 2 is currently being developed to provide grants di- rectly to businesses in sectors identified most in need such as aviation, cultural venues, mar- ket traders and home-based businesses. Cllr Philip Broadhead, BCP deputy leader and cabinet member for regeneration and economy, said: “Together, we can get through this. In the meantime, we have your back, and we’ll do everything we can to support you during the chal- lenging times ahead.” To apply visit www.newforest. gov.uk or bcpcouncil.gov.uk/ LRSG

Are you stuck for what to give a dog owner this Christmas? How about membership of the New Forest Dog Owners Group. It costs just £5.00 a year for individuals, an extra £1.00 for family members. We protect the freedoms of responsible walking off the lead in the New Forest, working with local partners and the park authorities. We promote good dog welfare and we run a local lost dog service. We ’ re also the largest fundraiser for research into Alamama Rot in the UK. More than 1000 members already support us, receive a twice yearly newsletter, use our website, meet us at shows, and we ’ ve more offers coming soon. You can join or gift to a friend online, or by a form downloadable at http://www.nfdog.org.uk/#join This advertisement was paid for by private donation.

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