Fordingbridge Town Council’s amenities committee held an extraordinary meeting last month to consider the proposal. This comes after the proximity of the play area to the river was flagged up in a Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) report. Councillor Diane Paton said: “It is an expense we can do without and I can also see no advantage to it. I think it is actually putting people nearer the river. It is the area where the ducks are and the kids like to feed the ducks and to have dogs there is wrong.” However, Councillor Paul Anstey admitted there was a “dog issue to it” but pointed out the accessibility to the river embankment by children in the play area was deemed a medium risk by RoSPA and the movement of the fence was to put a “physical barrier” in place.
A COUNCILLOR has warned a “tsunami of traffic” could be headed to Fordingbridge with future housing developments on the horizon. Three areas of the town have been earmarked for development in New Forest District Council’s Local Plan. The sites combined would bring forward a total of at least 870 homes. They are located at Station Road, Ashford (Site 16), Whitsbury Road (Site 17) and land at Burgate (Site 18). Fordingbridge Town Council’s planning committee held an extraordinary meeting to consider two applications from Pennyfarthing Homes Ltd relating to Site 17. A proposal for 63 homes at Tinkers Cross and an outline application for land to west of Whitsbury Road, which could eventually site 400 homes.