A “PLAN of action” is needed for the future of the Recreation Ground a Fordingbridge.

Cllr Mike Jackson, who was appointed the new vice chair of Fordingbridge Town Council’s general purposes committee last Wednesday, said it needed to consider what it wanted to do with the Rec and improvements it would like to see especially as the town was set to grow with future housing developments.

Speaking at a meeting last Wednesday, he said: “We need a much bigger plan of action of what we are going to do with all of it. We know it is a great asset to us but it is deteriorating in places and I think we have got the opportunity now of drawing up a plan with a complete improvement of the Rec.

“If we don’t do anything in the next five years the chances will be gone. At the moment there will be funding available from developers and other grants. If we don’t draw up that plan of what we want for the Recreation Ground we are just going to be firefighting for the foreseeable future.

“We should be drawing up a plan, looking at the play equipment, the clubhouse, the car park, workshop, and the paddling pool.”

This plan, Cllr Jackson continued, would need to have costings and consider which projects would be viable and then could be brought back before the committee for further discussion.

“There is a great opportunity for us to draw up a good plan and I think we should be doing it,” he added.

He also suggested that the plan could also look at other open spaces in the town.

The discussion over the future of the Recreation Ground was brought up during discussions over the poor condition of an information board located near the children’s play area.

The committee agreed to remove the information board for now and Cllr Paul Anstey said signage and information could be looked at as part of the plan for the Rec.

Ideas were previously discussed about creating a splash park to replace the paddling pool in the area as well as revamping the old toilet block.

While councillors were supportive of the idea for a splash park the cost was described as “astronomical”. Quotes for a single use water system was in the region of £165,000 to £175,000 while a recirculating one was around £265,000 to £285,000.

Councillors agreed to fix the current paddling pool, which is being done.

As for the old toilet block, demolition of the building had been discussed as well turning the structure into a sea-side type shelter, but the council’s finance and policy committee at an extraordinary meeting last month said it was waiting for scaled back plans to revamp it to be drawn up and would review the situation again.

 

Get more Forest Journal news.

You can also like our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter and Instagram to stay up to date.

Email newsdesk@salisburyjournal.co.uk with your comments, pictures, letters and news stories.