Motorbike legend Sammy Miller gets green light for museum expansion

MOTORBIKE legend Sammy Miller has won permission at the second attempt to expand his museum near New Milton.

The former champion racer was refused permission last year by New Forest District Council for a two-storey extension at the nationally renowned tourist attraction off Bashley Cross Road – which is in the protected green belt.

But having scaled back the designs, Sammy has now won permission from the authority’s planning committee to demolish part of the existing single-storey building that makes up the west wing of the facility, and replace it with a 10,000-square foot, two-storey addition.

A committee report described the development, which the museum say is needed to make space for extra displays and archive storage, as “inappropriate”, but said there were “very special circumstances” to allow it.

These were that the Sammy Miller Museum had demonstrated a need for the expansion, there was a lack of alternative sites, and a clear benefit to the community could be demonstrated.

Planning officers stated in their report: “The museum has always been a valuable source of archive material, but presently they cannot accept any more contributions and collections due to the lack of storage space and display areas.

“The museum is an important asset to British and world motorcycle heritage and one which the trust is trying to look after for future generations, for society, the local community and for tourism.”

The 2108 bid was thrown out because of its “unsympathetic design” which would spoil the other buildings and look out of place within the green belt that surrounds it.

But the latest designs have been reduced in height by about a foot, and the structure shifted further into the courtyard and away from the main frontage building.

The application had strong support from New Milton Town Council, which highlighted the museum’s important contribution to the local economy and New Forest tourism.

Sammy has run his museum since the 1990s, packing it with artefacts from his 55-year career of more than 1,400 wins. It has a workshop, historical records, and a large, working collection of rare motorbikes.

He told the A&T he was delighted with the decision. “The museum continues to grow and flourish, and the extra display and archive area will be such a great asset,” he said.

“This extra area gives us space to perhaps offer something a little different for our visitors and will help us to be universally accepted as one of the greatest museums in the world. At the same time, it will put New Milton more firmly on the map.”

Work on the extension is due to start in the autumn, and the majority of exhibits will remain on display to the public throughout the build.

A museum spokesperson said: “We would like to thank all the many motorcyclists and friends of the museum trust who gave their backing and encouragement for our new extension.

“The motorcycle museum is one of the New Forest’s major attractions, and once the new extension is complete we will be able to offer our visitors an enhanced and enriched visit, with facilities in which to relax in comfort to read and research our archives.”