New Forest District Council allocates £4.5m from Community Infrastructure Levy to aid regeneration projects and improve walking routes and play areas

THE regeneration of towns centres, upgrades to walking routes, new play areas and flood defences have been allocated £4.5m by New Forest District Council.

The projects, funded from the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL), were approved by the council’s cabinet member for planning and economy, Cllr Derek Tipp.

CIL is collected directly from developers to mitigate the impacts of new development on an area.

The money will be spent over the next three years in Ringwood to reinvigorate the marketplace in a joint project with the town and county council; at Milford an investment will be made in the seafront public toilets, taking into account flood and erosion risk measures as detailed in the Christchurch Bay Strategy; at Bath Road in Lymington there will be a redevelopment of the play area, recreational habitat mitigation and flood defence works; and in Totton a number of regeneration projects are being considered.

Money will also be given to Forestry England to establish a wider multi-user trail network using pre-existing gravel walking routes. The project includes new wayfinding and waymarking of the trail network and the upgrade of a number of broken links to connect established tracks.

Cllr Tipp said: “Supporting these key projects aligns with the vision of our new corporate plan; to secure a better future by supporting opportunities for the people and communities we serve, protecting our unique and special place and securing a vibrant and prosperous New Forest.

“We’re dedicated to shaping our place, empowering our residents to live healthy, connected and fulfilling lives, and to supporting our high-quality business base and economic centres to thrive and grow.”

As of 1st April 2024, the council has issued CIL invoices totalling just over £9m. A further £10-14m is forecast to be received from developers over the next five years.

Cllr Tipp added: “We look forward to investing in much needed infrastructure across the district. The projects have been identified after reviewing long-term ideas, community partnership work, housing growth as identified in the Local Plan, opportunities in neighbourhood plans, and links to recreational mitigation projects.

“We are also committed to taking a leading role in developing the creative and cultural industries in the New Forest. An initial £150,000 of CIL funding has been set aside to develop culture in the New Forest, and 2% of future CIL receipts will be allocated to this fund for the life of the current Corporate Plan.”