Join our FREE mailing list and receive our Weekly Digest bulletin and other updates direct to your inbox Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription Content Labels Explained will be stocked with a range of second-hand products and brand donations from clothing to bric-a-brac with sales helping to ensure children have a safe and happy childhood The new store will also sell the charity’s spring/summer 2025 range which includes beautiful homeware products featuring designs from children across the globe who Save the Children supports “We’re so excited to see our shop reopen after the refit The new look is vibrant and sustainably led We can’t wait to rejoin the community and welcome our customers and familiar faces back drop off your donations and ask about volunteering to support our amazing cause.” “We’re thrilled to be reopening our Lymington store and have a presence once again on the high street where we can raise money that makes a difference to children’s lives We’ve worked with the New Forest District Council to ensure we maintain the integrity of our historic building and can’t wait to invite locals back to our refurbished store.” The new store is located at 18 High Street Disclaimer:This article has been labelled in line with Charity Today’s content categories. For details on what each label means, please visit charitytoday.co.uk/charity-today-content-labels-explained. charitytoday.co.uk is a charity news website owned and published by UK NEWS BROADCASTING LTD. ISSN 3050-0249Registered Office: 124 City Road, London, EC1V 2NX 
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Statistics Home   Sport   Article Lymington CC finally ended an almost eight-year wait for a derby victory over long-time rivals Bashley (Rydal) CC winning by 22 runs on the opening day of the season on Saturday Lymington (227 all out) secured victory against Bashley (205 all out) for the first time since August 2018 in an absorbing contest It was an excellent advert for the league on a lovely day even though both sides were short of match practice with batsmen getting themselves in trouble due to poor shot selection Bashley captain Michael Porter admitted the game was lost in the first ten overs of each innings and not helped by giving away 37 runs in wides compared to 11 conceded by Lymington which ultimately contributed to the 22-run defeat On an easy-paced but good wicket that was a credit to the Bashley groundsmen Bashley won the toss and put Lymington into bat With left-hander Terry Crabb (18) returning to the fold Lymington were 55-1 after ten overs and going along nicely with Monam Abbas (33) striking the ball well fresh back from playing cricket in Pakistan and Jovan Dhariwal (26) and Ryan Scott (14) put on 43 for the fourth wicket It was then left to captain Gareth Berg (50) to ensure that Lymington had a competitive total It was the Bashley spinners who dominated with Ethan Baker (3-53) back after playing for the Hampshire Academy while medium pacer George Wilson (3-24) was primarily responsible for polishing off the tail Overseas Australian player Eddie Withington had a dream start for Lymington He took just six balls to take his first league wicket bowling Will Tripcony (2) in the first over of the Bashley innings Bashley were just 33-2 and finding it challenging to get the Lymington bowlers away Porter (73) played a captain’s innings batting at number five but with limited contributions from the other top-order batsmen but the game could still have swung in favour of Bashley when Jovan Dhariwal dropped Porter on the boundary Lymington then held on to a similar chance later on Lymington were effectively home when the last five wickets fell for 30 runs Monam Abbas was also in good form with his spin (2-44) Lymington plays their first home league game of the season against Bournemouth on Saturday Bashley will travel to last season’s champions Both are limited 50-over games with a 12.30pm start If you have a legitimate reason for accessing Lymington.com from outside the UK please email jane@bartleymarketing.co.uk along with your IP address and we will happliy grant you access Powered by SiteGuarding.com A wonderful start to the bank holiday weekend The day started off a little cloudy and cool but true to parkrun magic We want to send out a huge thank you at the beginning of this run report to the set-up crew who set up the course And then the crew takes down the course every week and packs it away We also would like to thank the cafe in the pavilion at Woodside Your hot drinks and snacks keep us all going Our bank holiday brought a good crowd to Lymington Woodside We had 233 participants this morning - it was super to see the regular participants and also all the tourists Many achievements today: Matty Bishop did his 250th PR We had a young man named Leo who did his first ever parkrun today There were also 27 running clubs represented in the field today Some local and some from much further afield Birmingham and Norfolk running clubs get the farthest away shout out we all enjoyed the British Airways and Airey Airways running clubs Our tourists today were from far and wide: Battersea Paul Russhard (Lymington Tri Club) at 18.33 was the first male finisher Cary Gallagher (Westbourne Running Club) was the first female finisher at 21.14 Her club mate Matty Bishop who ran his 250th parkrun got a PB as well Local runners April Mondz and Barry Keartland both posted PBs It is also worth noting that some people participating today ran the London marathon last weekend Two local to the area runners - Janet Townsend and Alice Blackburn also ran the London Marathon Alice had set herself the challenge to run Brighton and London Other fantastic stats have been achieved by local runners: Caroline Woodford achieved a 92.3% age grade; Graham Ratcliffe (who also is a stalwart parkrun volunteer and RD) achieved an 81.95% finished with a time of 23.42 in his first ever parkrun © parkrun Limited (Company Number: 07289574) No part of this site may be reproduced in whole or in part in any manner without the permission of the copyright owner Buses replace trains between Brockenhurst and Lymington Pier from Sunday 22 December with trains returning to service on Monday 6 January 2025 The line between Brockenhurst and Lymington Pier will be closed for the second phase of our work on the line over the festive period Buses will replace trains between Brockenhurst and Lymington between Sunday 22 December and Sunday 5 January Following the successful re-railing done on the line in late October we will be strengthening the bridge across the Lymington River between Lymington Town and Pier stations and repair works to heavily corroded critical steel elements of Lymington Viaduct carried out from pontoons and underslung scaffold which support the track across the viaduct Engineers will also be re-railing the line over Lymington Town Level Crossing the level crossing will be closed to road traffic A temporary bridge will be built near the level crossing for passengers South Western Railway’s rail replacement service will call at Lymington Town in the Brockenhurst direction only A shuttle bus will run between Lymington Town and Lymington Pier Network Rail staff will carry out improvement works at Brockenhurst Level Crossing and also tamping condensing the ballast underneath the tracks across the junctions at Brockenhurst station said: “We appreciate that there is never a good time to close the railway however the statistics show that fewer people travel during the festive period passengers using the branch line will benefit from smoother and more reliable journeys We have been working closely with South Western Railway and Wightlink to ensure passengers travelling between Lymington and Newport on the Isle of Wight will have minimum disruption during this period.” to grow and expand the nation's railway network to respond to the tremendous growth and demand the railway has experienced - a doubling of passenger journeys over the past 20 years Home   People   Article Parking charges introduced were always going to be very detrimental to the town (A&T 11th Apr) all struggling with increased charges from all angles but they have big hearts and want to continue providing a good service to the local community staffed by people for whom we all pay their salaries They are there to represent us and provide the best possible service During the planned introduction of parking charges I had contact on several occasions with a councillor and he was just not listening or understanding the counter argument Authorities must stop these actions immediately; what they gain on parking charges and fines they will certainly lose in business rates and vandalism It’s not about a financial spreadsheet – tear it up We also need friendly police patrolling the town on foot as a matter of duty It was with interest that I read your articles concerning parking meters and parking charges (A&T 11th Apr) The payment of these charges has been simplified with the introduction of parking apps of various designation In Lymington the £3.10 charge is increased by 40p if you use the app During the Christmas holiday period the parking charges were cancelled and when I bought this in error I contacted the provider and the parking charge was refunded.. There appears to be no mechanism for this to be processed but this usurious percentage would appear to be neither justified nor good value so that people know to use cash or card for free Local super athlete Valeria Sesto went through a gruelling experience to finish the London Marathon with a smile while evergreen Alastair Pickburn ran just under two hours and 53 minutes bursting into tears and vomiting before finishing strong while New Forest Runner’s Pickburn sped around in two hours “It is definitely always worth it,” said 52-year-old Sesto I just wanted to take the opportunity one more time I have been focusing on other goals and got to the start a bit overloaded The struggles became so difficult to deal with that I was barely able to run so I just kept moving forward as best as I could She added: “Every mile felt like a mountain And when it was five miles to go – normally the best part of the race for me – I felt as if I still had Everest to climb and Clive… It was such an unexpected treat to have both my children in London supporting me “Words can’t explain how truly painful it felt and how impossible I believed it was to make it to the end and they were in disbelief when I told them that I didn’t think I could run anymore “I realised my children thought I must be a super tough superhuman I might achieve a bit more in sports than others After bursting into inconsolable tears and experiencing violent she gained a second wind: “Then it was magic and I managed to run the last two miles and enjoy the finish of this incredible race with ease.” Pickburn shook off an injury and dealt with the warm weather to run a two-hour Pickburn said: “The race went really well despite having an injury issue which disrupted my training for a few weeks in March which didn’t make great conditions for trying to run quick times I was really pleased to run a sub-2:53 time and hopefully secure a good-for-age place for next year’s race so I’ve got fingers crossed for more consistent training Home   News   Article TRADERS calling for action to save their town centre have claimed high street parking charges are driving away their customers Shop owners in Lymington’s once bustling commercial centre say many of their regular customers no longer visit after Hampshire County Council introduced parking fees Some are struggling to make ends meet and say they have been forced to lay off staff or reduce their hours while not taking wages themselves in a bid to keep businesses afloat who has been running Perfumery and Co in the town for five years and we’re not seeing local people shopping “I hear people say all the time they would come here more often if we didn’t have these meters.” He said many drivers find the meters problematic because they must enter their car registration details in order to buy a ticket This is happening at a time when our business rates are doubling,” he continued "It’s painfully sad to see the impact of the charges You only have to go to Bournemouth to see the effect when people don’t shop local any more “Lymington has been so quiet since January By my count we have 19 empty units at the moment.” Posing for a photo in the High Street’s empty parking bays alongside fellow shopkeepers he added: “I don't want to paint a picture that it’s miserable “There are lots of empty parking spaces after 3pm each day and it’s a very different picture compared to last year.” told the A&T she too is concerned for the future “The regulars we do have coming in say they don’t come to town so much any more because of the parking charges,” she said the customers we do get now dash in to grab one thing and leave straight away because they’re on the clock with no time to browse - they only get 20 minutes free parking before they have to pay.” My business rates have more than doubled and I don't have the footfall to cover the costs “I’ve had to lay off a member of staff because my takings are 27% down this month This business has been going for more than 70 years – I don’t want to be the one to lose it “Parking is absolutely the main issue – even if the council changed it to one hour’s free parking that could be something to increase footfall.” whose nautical-themed decor business Boat House 27 operates off High Street said he is “furious” about the parking charges and their impact on trade “I’ve just had one of the worst weeks of trading ever in this shop’s 18-year history,” he said “Footfall is massively down and I’ve heard first-hand from several people they don't come to Lymington any more because of the charges – it’s too much of a flap and a pain for them “We’re going through a cost of living crisis but trade is noticeably worse since the introduction of these charges “Nobody’s coming here any more – it’s awful I take photos of empty parking bays when I go to do my banking once a week – at last count there were 35 empty bays “I also had a customer with back issues who couldn’t make it to a parking machine and back to her car before she was ticketed “There’s no reason for us to have ticket machines As far as I’m aware we’re the only Forest town that does – will the county council be coming for New Milton next and feels like an extra tax on businesses when our rates and costs are already going up The council should rip these parking machines out “I’ve had to reduce staffing hours and now work seven days a week to make ends meet without taking a wage – I’m living off savings to keep my business alive.” Lymington mayor Cllr Jack Davies said: “When the county council decided to put parking meters in Lymington High Street they promised they would use the money to invest in road maintenance – that was a lie Our high street is still riddled with dangerous potholes “They also promised other towns and villages in the Forest would have parking meters too – that was also a lie Our independent shops are at risk of closing forever because of these parking meters A county council spokesperson responded: “On-street parking charges along Lymington High Street were increased on 10th March with no change to the 20-minute free period which enables people to park for free to run quick errands “The changes were made as part of the council’s routine annual review of charges and brings the cost of on-street parking in line with other parking charges in the area which were recently increased by the district council discouraging a situation where there is greater pressure on some spaces LYMINGTON councillors are backing traders’ pleas to reinstate one hour’s free parking on the High Street as customer footfall continues to drop As reported by the A&T shopkeepers and business owners say the county council’s introduction of charges after 20 minutes of free parking have had an “awful” effect on customer traffic and takings The traders have now joined forces to set up a petition calling for the reinstatement of one hour’s free parking and have already surpassed their initial goal with more than 2,500 signatures Crystals and Boat House 27 owner Gary Saunders told members the High Street parking meters are “counterproductive” “We have all found that since the installation of meters the footfall on the High Street has dramatically dropped,” he said “and many shop owners have seen their turnover dramatically drop by as much as 25% “We all believe the parking meters have been very much to blame for this dramatic decline Proof of this is when I go to the bank weekly and not always on the same day of the week I count between 25 to 40 empty [parking] spaces on the street.” He continued: “Hampshire County Council has ridden over all of us by going ahead and installing these meters “Hampshire County Council says [meters] work and help control congestion and the meters work for people running small errands Twenty minutes is not long enough to go to the shops and purchase anything What kind of numpties do they think we are?” He also warned that High Street trading could collapse “like a stack of cards” if and when one or two businesses close Mr Saunders said if the county council has a funding shortfall they need to go to the government and manage their budgets better “instead of pillaging the public and traders” Buckland Ward councillor Hannah Phillips tabled a motion to reinstate one hour’s free parking on the High Street She said: “Whilst this council recognises the budgetary pressures faced by Hampshire County Council this council believes the increase in charges will reduce footfall on the High Street and make life harder for high street businesses – especially our small independent shops “This council also believes that reinstating the previous one-hour free parking on Lymington High Street would mitigate the impact of the increased charges and have a positive impact on the financial position of businesses in the High Street this council supports the current campaign by our High Street businesses to reinstate the one-hour free parking period on the High Street.” She also called for the town council to request a meeting with the county council’s executive member for highways to discuss reinstating the hour’s free parking She also called for Lymington and Boldre division county councillor Barry Dunning to ask a formal question about the meters at the next county council meeting Pennington Ward councillor Simon Morgan proposed an amendment to the motion calling for the town council to request the annual income figures and costs of the meters from the county proposed a further amendment asking for county council data on the “effectiveness” of High Street parking restrictions He told the meeting he had voted “heavily against” the introduction of the parking meters during his first county council meeting He said he has had numerous meetings with the county council’s highways portfolio holder since then and reiterates at every meeting that the meters “should not be there” he said it had also been indicated by the county council that other towns like Ringwood New Milton and Romsey would also have parking meters installed Lymington is the only town that has these restrictions.” Pennington Ward councillor Thomas Brindley said he was “totally supportive” of the motion and amendments Councillors voted unanimously in favour of the original motion which was seconded by deputy mayor Cllr Colm McCarthy • The traders’ parking charges petition can be found at chng.it/LWm282RCgg Have your say on our letters page – email news@advertiserandtimes.co.uk This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page BRITAIN’S MOST READ WATERFRONT NEWSPAPER REGISTERED OFFICE: 8 Blue Barns 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You can change your cookie settings at any time Freedom of Information releases and corporate reports The much-loved 15km coastline between Hurst Spit and Lymington is under threat from climate change and sea level rise flood risk and coastal erosion will impact important habitats and heritage sites including Hurst Castle Public exhibitions are being held between Friday 8th November and Tuesday 26th November in Milford on Sea and Lymington in partnership with New Forest District Council Natural England and JBA Consulting are encouraging as many people as possible to come along to their public exhibitions Over the next 100 years this internationally designated part of the coastline will be under threat from sea level rise and coastal erosion The Environment Agency and partners are developing options for how to respond to these challenges over the coming years and are keen to share these with the local community and develop a shared understanding Visitors to the exhibition can speak to experts who have been assessing the impact of climate change and learn how the coastline and flood risk may change over time and how that risk could be managed over the next 100 years Flood and Coastal Risk Manager at the Environment Agency We’ve reached a significant milestone in the project We can now share with the local communities our draft options for adapting and enhancing the coastline between Hurst Spit and Lymington We understand how much the coastline is valued by local communities and therefore we are inviting them to a series of public exhibitions throughout November in and around Milford on Sea and Lymington We look forward to welcoming visitors to our exhibitions It will be a great opportunity to find out about the plan for a sustainable future and talk face to face with our experts Portfolio Holder for Environment and Sustainability The Hurst Spit to Lymington Strategy that is being developed will enable us to consider the natural changes that may affect our coastline now and into the future may be implemented to address the impacts of climate change businesses and local organisations are already engaging with the strategy and hope that this momentum will continue through to the drop-in sessions that are scheduled over the coming weeks The Hurst Spit to Lymington Strategy is taking what is known as an “adaptation pathway” approach This allows decisions regarding flood management options to remain flexible to observed and predicted changes over time flood management approaches can be implemented in a timely way avoiding the cost of acting too early or too late A list of dates and locations for the public exhibitions:   E-mail: Communications_SE@environment-agency.gov.uk Don’t include personal or financial information like your National Insurance number or credit card details Vital work on the approach to Lymington Pier in Hampshire will mean that the Lymington branch line will be closed between Saturday 26 October and Sunday 3 November with buses replacing trains Network Rail engineers will be replacing almost a mile’s worth of track on the branch line to help improve reliability and reduce the number of faults on the line The new track will also be treated by a specialist Land Rover able to travel both on the road and the railway – known as a Sand Rover This vehicle will drive along the tracks and apply a sticky sand-like gel to help trains grip the tracks during wet and slippery conditions Engineers will also begin the first of a two-stage programme of work to improve the viaduct which runs over the river between Lymington Town and Lymington Pier This will include improving the durability of the structure as well as carrying out preventative works to make sure the viaduct continues to safely carry passengers over Lymington River into the future This second phase of this work will be completed from 21 December to 5 January 2025 during a two-week closure said: “We’re sorry for any inconvenience this work will cause and thank passengers for their patience during this period “This work is critical for the continued safe and reliable running of the Lymington branch line over Lymington River which we know is a popular line that provides visitors with regular ferry connections to the Isle of Wight the railway between Brockenhurst and Lymington Pier will be closed and a rail replacement bus service will be in operation to allow our engineers to safely complete their work We’re working closely with our train operator partner South Western Railway and Wightlink Ferry company to ensure passengers can continue their journeys.” A South Western Railway spokesperson said: “With our colleagues at Network Rail set to carry out vital maintenance between Brockenhurst and Lymington Pier we’re advising customers to check before travelling “Customers should also note that there will be a closure between Southampton Central and Brockenhurst on the first weekend of the closure We’re sorry for the disruption that this will cause and would encourage customers to check before travelling.” RNLI rescuers helped two sailors who had been stuck overnight on a boat grounded at the mouth of Lymington River The alarm was raised shortly after 11am on Tuesday before the lifeboat was launched to the stricken vessel amid fears it could flood with the rising tide Two of the lifeboat’s crew went on board and decided it was best to stand by as the water level rose A Lymington RNLI online post afterwards said: “Due to the limited mobility of one of the persons on board taking them off the vessel would have been risky so they took the vessel under tow to deeper water the vessel continued on their passage and the lifeboat proceeded back to the station.” Another stranded vessel was dealt with by Mudeford RNLI in the early hours of Thursday This time it was a RIB with two people on board which had broken down near Christchurch Harbour’s entrance finding the RIB safely at anchor with both occupants unhurt A MAN has been charged in connection with a burglary in Lymington after a coffee shop on the quay had its glass door smashed and £400 stolen Thieves broke into Coffee & Drift on Quay Road around 1am on Saturday A Hampshire police spokesperson said: “Following enquiries “He was remanded in custody to appear at Southampton Magistrates’ Court on 7th April and at the hearing he was further remanded in custody to appear at Southampton Crown Court on 7th May.” Train services on the Lymington branch line resumed this morning (Monday 4 November) following a week-long closure for track vital upgrades Network Rail’s team of engineers replaced nearly a mile of track on the stretch of line between Brockenhurst and Lymington Pier significantly improving reliability and reducing the number of faults The new track has been treated by a specialist Land Rover able to travel both on the road and the railway – known as a Sand Rover – which applied a sticky sand-like gel to help trains grip the tracks during particularly wet and slippery conditions There is also a coating on the new rails reducing the speed at which the new rails corrode which is particularly useful in this coastal environment a second closure will be required to make improvements to the viaduct over Lymington River The second phase of this work will see the railway closed from 21 December 2024 until 6 January 2025 and will improve the durability of the structure to ensure the viaduct continues to carry passengers safely and reliably over Lymington River into the future said: “We appreciate passengers’ patience during this period and are sorry for any inconvenience caused by the work This maintenance was crucial for the continued safe and reliable operation of the Lymington branch line we worked closely with our train operator partner and Wightlink Ferry company to ensure passengers could continue their journeys seamlessly.  We will maintain close collaboration with our partners to ensure the Christmas closure also runs smoothly.” An SWR spokesperson added: “We are pleased to see the line between Brockenhurst and Lymington Pier reopen restoring both connectivity for our customers in Lymington and the link with the Isle of Wight The follow-up closure in December and early January is one of a number of engineering projects on our network over the Christmas period so we’d like to take this opportunity to encourage customers to plan ahead.” The New Forest National Park Authority is recruiting a consultant for a new active travel route between Lyndhurst and Lymington [Deadline: 31 March 2025] The winning team selected for the estimated £20,000-to-£30,000 contract will carry out a feasibility study exploring high-level design options for a new active travel corridor connecting the two key settlements within the New Forest Key aims of the project include boosting walking and cycling facilities along the route which spans some of the ‘most attractive and environmentally sensitive areas’ of the New Forest The study will consider ‘all relevant constraints and risks then recommend preferred options with high-level concept designs and realistic costings.’ According to the brief: ‘The New Forest National Park Authority supported by Hampshire County Council is seeking a consultant / consultancy to prepare an Active Travel Feasibility Study for a route between Lyndhurst and Lymington in the New Forest National Park known in the New Forest LCWIP as Route 120 ‘The purpose of the feasibility study is to identify options for this important utility and leisure route through the New Forest The study will need to look at the provision of new walking and cycling (and equestrian) options along Route 120 from Lyndhurst to Lymington The route has further very important utility and leisure connections to the north and east.’ The New Forest is one of the last areas of unenclosed pasture It was created by William the Conqueror and contains various rare birds and mammals within its 380km2 territory The latest procurement comes three months after New Forest District Council launched a search for a consultant for a new framework to transform Totton town centre in Hampshire Bids for the latest commission will be evaluated 70 per cent on quality and 30 per cent on price Tags Hutchison Ports is recruiting a design team for its new £9 million… An open international contest is being held for a major €27.5 million… An international design and build contest is being held for 25 new… The UK Research and Innovation Science and Technology Facilities Council (UKRI-STFC) has… A NEW Conservative member of Lymington and Pennington Town Council has been voted in after a by-election Cllr James Hoare took the seat for the Lymington ward with 554 votes which became vacant following the death in October of Lib Dem councillor Richard Gray Also standing was Lib Dem candidate Tom Cornwall Cllr Hoare told the A&T: “I am delighted to have won the Lymington ward by-election yesterday The campaign was an opportunity to talk with many residents listening to the issues they feel are important.” added: “I look forward to returning to the town council to work with fellow councillors on solutions to these and other issues I realise the by-election only took place due to the death of Cllr Richard Gray I would like to express my condolences to his friends and family.” a Lib Dem spokesperson said: “We’re very proud of Tom’s campaign The local Lib Dem team will keep working hard for our town on the issues local people care about “We want to congratulate the Conservative candidate and look forward to working with him to make sure the voices of the people of Lymington are always heard in the council chamber.” A spokesperson for New Forest West Labour said: “Bronwen was delighted by the positive messages of support she received [and] we wish James Hoare well in returning to the council.” who was serving last year as chair of the town council’s policy and resources committee Lymington mayor Jack Davies said: “Richard was a well-respected local councillor and a good friend Buses replace trains between Brockenhurst and Lymington Pier from Sunday 22 December with train services resuming on Monday 6 January 2025 The line between Brockenhurst and Lymington Pier will be closed for the second phase of planned upgrades over the festive period Following the successful completion of track upgrades including replacing nearly a mile of track in late October Network Rail engineers will return to the line to undertake work to strengthen the bridge across the Lymington River between Lymington Town and Pier stations refurbish and strengthen heavily corroded critical steel elements of Lymington Viaduct will also be completed as well as replacing the wheel timbers engineers will also replace the track over Lymington Town Level Crossing improvements to Brockenhurst Level Crossing and also tamping - compacting the stones (ballast) underneath the tracks - across the junctions at Brockenhurst station will also be completed however we know that fewer people travel during the festive period so this is the least disruptive time to complete these important upgrades "We have been working closely with our partners South Western Railway and Wightlink to ensure passengers travelling between Lymington and Newport ONGONG feedback on controversial plans to manage the coastline between Hurst Spit and Lymington will be listened to a strategy for managing flood and erosion risk between in the area over the next century is currently being developed by several agencies including the EA and New Forest District Council a plan to ‘roll back’ the sea wall along sections of the coast has been heavily criticised by local sailing clubs and marine organisations which say it could cause Lymington River to become unnavigable which would see Hurst Spit maintained for the next 10 to 20 years before it is left to nature has also been slammed by campaign group Save Lymington and Keyhaven (Slak) The group – comprising representatives from the Royal Lymington and Lymington Town sailing clubs Berthon Boat Company and Lymington Marina – recently met with the Environment Agency who said the authority would continue listening to concerns of residents and organisations which covers 15km of coastline between Hurst Spit and Lymington over the next 100 years is being developed to give the EA the “best opportunity to manage climate change” She said: “We know there will be sea level rise and that is going to have an impact on the coastline.” Ms Francis said the current phase of strategy development focuses on understanding potential impacts and looking at recommendations – not implementing immediate changes “We are not recommending any immediate changes,” she said “We’re certainly not suggesting that anything should change in terms of the current management or maintenance of Hurst Spit.” One major point of contention for local groups is the perceived lack of action in the short term with concerns that funding for existing defences will dry up while the long-term strategy is developed Ms Francis said the strategy will not impact current maintenance work “The fact that we’re doing a strategy doesn’t change or influence anything which is actively happening on the ground,” she said adding that current maintenance and management approaches will continue subject to “various stakeholder budget allocations” She also emphasised the EA is monitoring the condition of existing defences and will adapt its approach as needed “The adaptive pathway approach allows us to take all of that information into account on a much more agile and flexible basis,” she explained Ms Francis said the EA recognises the strong local interest in Hurst Spit and the concerns of communities and welcomed public input and engagement to help shape the strategy She said: “This conversation is really important for us to understand what everyone else knows what experience they’ve got and how that works with what we’re recommending.” On the concerns raised by Slak regarding the potential impact on Lymington River Ms Francis said: “We are looking primarily at where people and properties are to protect them from flood risk But we do understand that there are lots of other kinds of users and what that can mean to the community.” Concerns have also been raised about the long-term implications of the strategy including reduced management of Hurst Spit and the impact this could have on wave energy Ms Francis emphasized that the EA is working with Lymington Harbour Commissioners and other stakeholders to understand their current activities such as dredging and salt marsh recharge She said: “Some of that work just hasn’t been done yet because we’re not at that stage of the strategy development That’s the stage that we’re heading into.” The EA says it plans to continue engaging with Slak and other groups throughout the process encouraging interested parties to participate in the Stakeholder Advisory Group a forum for gathering feedback and helps shape the strategy While the formal consultation on the strategy is set to take place in summer 2026 The project website will also be regularly updated with news Updates will be published at www.hurstspit2lymington.co.uk For best viewing experience of this website Please enter a place name in the search bar After provisionally the warmest May Day on record in the UK higher than average temperatures will subside over the weekend Environment Agency Updated: 22:39 (UTC+1) on Mon 5 May 2025 Cloud thinning and becoming mainly dry overnight Cloud thinning and breaking during the evening with showers and any remaining rain soon fading Showers remain possible across Kent with brisk winds here Possible rural grass frost in western parts by dawn Cloudier in east with best of the sunshine across western regions mainly fine weather with sunny or clear spells and mostly light winds Dry across the vast majority of the UK with clear or sunny spells but also some patchy cloud Cloud will likely thicken across the far north and northwest during the weekend with some outbreaks of rain for a time There is also a small risk of some heavy showers in the far south or southwest high pressure will be dominant across the UK This will bring predominantly fine and dry weather for the majority of places Temperatures are likely to be slightly above normal for the time of year although there is a chance of some cold nights Fairly typical weather for the time of year is most likely through this period fine and dry weather is more likely to dominate although this will be interspersed with occasional spells of rain and showers with a risk of heavy rain and thunderstorms in places temperatures will most likely be near to or slightly above average RESIDENTS of Lymington electoral ward will go to the polls next week to choose a new local representative After the death of ex-town councillor Richard Gray NFDC has published confirmation that Lymington and Pennington Town Council will hold a by-election on Thursday Polling stations will be open at St Thomas’s Church Hall in St Thomas Street Lymington Sea Scouts Hall in King`s Saltern Road Standing for the vacant role is Bronwen Hailey Bridges for Labour and James Alexander Hoare for the Conservatives James Hoare told the A&T: “I am proud of our town and want future generations to enjoy living here We need to ensure developers provide affordable housing so that they can “Many visitors enjoy our High Street and I want to work with retailers and businesses in order that they can be part of a busy town that people want to visit “With your vote I hope to return to the council where I can continue work on these and other issues.” A spokesperson for the local Lib Dem party said: “Tom Cornwall is standing to continue Richard Gray’s hard work and to be a strong voice for Lymington on the town council “With the Labour government and Conservative county council conspiring to lump us in with Southampton or Winchester it’s crucial we elect councillors who will fight for decisions to be made at a local level “I hope the people of Lymington go out and vote for local Lib Dem Tom Cornwall on Thursday 16th January to get the strong voice they need on the council.” Bronwen Bridges told the A&T: “Listening to residents at street stalls Many young people and families cannot afford suitable accommodation in the town “The Town Hall site and Solent Mead are local authority owned I believe these sites offer a unique opportunity to create homes for rent that are truly affordable cutting down on car journeys and benefitting health and wellbeing although the Lib Dems oppose the development of the Town Hall site I will guarantee that I will work with other councillors opening a dialogue and involving the local community in local decisions.” Lymington Mayor Jack Davies said: “Richard was a well-respected local councillor and a good friend Richard got stuck in helping residents with their problems I was in awe of his commitment and the speed at which he understood his new role in the community “Whilst some councillors can get bogged down in the petty side of local politics looking to get the best deal for residents He will be sorely missed by residents and his fellow councillors.” Many thanks to Mick Anglim visiting us from Brockemhurst parkrun for this Christmas Day Run Report Our sincere thanks go to the 25 volunteers below who braved the cold to make our 343rd event possible for our highest ever number of finishers: Rebecca Jane CADE • Darren PRICE • Kay MITCHELL • Lisa MCGINNIS • David HILL • Ruth BARRETT • Alison MILLS • Craig BROWN • Clive GREWCOCK • Catherine DOUGHTY • Ellen URWIN • Peter HARWOOD • Darryl STEVENS • Prue BAKER • Peter ALLEN • Julie READ • Sarah BUNCE • Liz SANDERS • Billy HARDING • Bella WOOLHOUSE READ • Laura WHITING • Matthew WILSON • Addie CLIFFORD-CADE • Leanne PRICE • Mick ANGLIM Courtesy of the festive season and the cancellation of all bar the Southampton parkrun we had our highest ever attendance Despite the cold and grey conditions there were 326 people who ran Happily there were lots of people in festive costume to brighten up the morning There was just one Volunteer Milestone by M10 Billy Harding who earned his purple 25 Volunteer top as one of our marshals this morning Many of our volunteers this morning have given up their time well over 200 times to ensure that Lymington Woodside parkrun continues to thrive By local standards it’s a complicated course requiring a lot of marking out so hats off to M50 Darren Price of New Forest Runners on his 408th Volunteer day including 331 times setting up the course Jo’s Clubmate M75 Peter Harwood earns a LW loyalty award as all but one of his 300 runs have been at LW Even more impressively Peter has volunteered here 244 times so will soon be joining the 250 Volunteer Club M50 Matthew Fordham is another NFR runner and his 200 runs include 96 at LW and 86 at Brock Two of the official Milestone Runs were by the Swindells with M45 David of London Fields Triathlon earning his black 100 top with 64 of those at Hackney Marshes M11 Milo Cade-Swindells of Victoria Park Harriers & Tower Hamlets has also run 26 of his 50 at Hackney Marshes and celebrated his red Milestone with a 22:27 LW PB Another New Forest Runner M50 Dave Hodgkiss also earned his 50 Club top with 33 of his runs at Brock W70 Heather Graham is another regular who deserves a loyalty award as all 25 of her parkruns have been at LW Our first juniors were M11 Benjamin Conway of Swindon Harriers who ran a LW PB of 20:11 and first time visitor W11 Maya Watson of South London Harriers who ran a parkrun PB of 22:33 The highest Age Grade score of 78.02% was set by W50 Samantha Ayers of BodyFit Cumbria which was also the furthest travelled Club M65 Paul Loveridge of New Forest Runners set the highest male Age Grade score of 77.56% Top of the most parkruns table was M60 Keith Ellis of New Forest Runners on his 668th run with 424 of those in Reading Keith has also volunteered an exemplary 250 times Representatives of 52 different clubs took part with New Forest Runners topping the list with 38 runners There were only 13 Hardley Runners but they did get a photo of some of their club runners Today's full results and a complete event history can be found on the Lymington Woodside parkrun Results Page