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9:38am Friday 18th July 2008
ONE of Hampshire's biggest builders has stopped work on a £80m housing scheme following the collapse of the property market.
Award-winning Redrow Homes has shelved plans to build more than 300 flats on the old Webbs chicken factory site in Bridge Road, Lymington.
Earlier this year Redrow demolished the factory and levelled the ground - but all activity has now ceased.
Hailed as the biggest development in the town for 60 years, the Lymington Shores scheme was given planning permission amid claims that it would transform a seven-acre site overlooking the Lymington River.
Redrow has issued a statement claiming it is still committed to the project but the company was unable to say when work will begin.
It came on the day that the Government announced that hundreds more homes than expected would have to be built across the south in the next 20 years.
House builders across the country have put projects on hold amid fears that prospective buyers will be denied mortgages because of the credit crisis.
The first part of the Lymington Shores scheme was originally due to be completed in the autumn.
Yesterday huge Redrow signs announcing that homes will be "coming soon" were still outside the site and seven company flags were continuing to fly above the entrance.
However, the site itself was locked and deserted.
Donald Mackenzie, of the Lymington Society, said: "I haven't heard anything officially but there have been rumours that Redrow have put the site in mothballs and abandoned building there for the time being.
"Like all builders, Redrow are under financial pressure.
"There are said to be about halfa- million unsold flats across the country and building another 300 in Lymington probably wouldn't make a lot of sense at the current time.
"I hope the site remains safe and secure. We don't want to see children running around, putting themselves and possibly others at risk."
Will Syllabub, Soton says...
10:25am Fri 18 Jul 08
goard, Lymington says...
11:29am Fri 18 Jul 08
Saintlyish, Forest...somewhere says...
12:00pm Fri 18 Jul 08
Will Syllabub wrote:Well Will,
So the property market has officially collapsed, has it?
JP, Victoria says...
12:10pm Fri 18 Jul 08
andrew, auckland, nz says...
1:11pm Fri 18 Jul 08
Finlay, Des Moines, Iowa says...
1:27pm Fri 18 Jul 08
The Boatman, New Forest says...
1:44pm Fri 18 Jul 08
Stu, New Forest says...
1:47pm Fri 18 Jul 08
Neil, New Forest says...
1:51pm Fri 18 Jul 08
Saintlyish wrote:Lymington Socciety?? This was the group started when the builders started encroaching on those properties south of the high street wasn't it?? I only started hearing from this 'society' once the builders started hammering down houses in the areas close to the marinas. Didn't hear much from them when the hospital was bulldozed.
TBF this project has been flawed from the beginning - the properties on offer are either: a)Aimed at the 2nd Home Market (therefore pricing out the locals anyway) OR b)Shared Ownership for single individuals (all very honourable in theory but we all know that it will be 19yr old Single Mums that end up there). There's a similar 'Affordable Housing' development in Pilley planned where the 17yr olds are already getting pregnant in advance of the development - securing their place in the queue. What would impress would be if the project offered LOWER cost homes for families - below £250k purchase price, which would encourage WORKING families to stay in the area that they grew up in. To top it all, they're likely to build a CARE HOME there - how many more do they need in Lymington ???? The problem is that developers are buying up the 'family size' homes, flattening them and building more flats, that still can't sell. Look at Rightmove for examples - Hillcroft Mews which was a prime site when developed is already looking shabby - with plenty up for sale at lower prices than when they were bought. The local councils need to canvass opinion and use that opinion when looking to approve developments such as these - they nearly always miss the market that they are aiming for. Thank god for the Lymington Society.
Stu, New Forest says...
1:56pm Fri 18 Jul 08
The Boatman wrote:Don't you believe it, Lymington hospital was built on a flood plain yet everyone argued it wasn't. If this was the case, why have they now made the flood defences higher along the train line in the last year or so?...these council wallies think we are all daft. Also, quite handy they built the defences to shore up Redrows site as well. Why should the taxpayer have the burdon of sorting out sea defences and new sewer mains when the system gets overloaded..... not all but there are plenty of builders that cut and run and have no concerns for surface water and sewerage problems to face us in the near future.
No great loss - global warming means these homes will all be under water in a few years anyway. Anybody who buys a waterfront property nowadays must be insane. I hope they can't get flood insurance as I don't want my premiums put up because of others greed and stupidity.
LOWE OUT, says...
2:02pm Fri 18 Jul 08
Saintlyish, Forest...somewhere says...
2:07pm Fri 18 Jul 08
Neil wrote:Oh dear, don't get me started on the 'new' hospital.....
Saintlyish wrote: TBF this project has been flawed from the beginning - the properties on offer are either: a)Aimed at the 2nd Home Market (therefore pricing out the locals anyway) OR b)Shared Ownership for single individuals (all very honourable in theory but we all know that it will be 19yr old Single Mums that end up there). There's a similar 'Affordable Housing' development in Pilley planned where the 17yr olds are already getting pregnant in advance of the development - securing their place in the queue. What would impress would be if the project offered LOWER cost homes for families - below £250k purchase price, which would encourage WORKING families to stay in the area that they grew up in. To top it all, they're likely to build a CARE HOME there - how many more do they need in Lymington ???? The problem is that developers are buying up the 'family size' homes, flattening them and building more flats, that still can't sell. Look at Rightmove for examples - Hillcroft Mews which was a prime site when developed is already looking shabby - with plenty up for sale at lower prices than when they were bought. The local councils need to canvass opinion and use that opinion when looking to approve developments such as these - they nearly always miss the market that they are aiming for. Thank god for the Lymington Society.Lymington Socciety?? This was the group started when the builders started encroaching on those properties south of the high street wasn't it?? I only started hearing from this 'society' once the builders started hammering down houses in the areas close to the marinas. Didn't hear much from them when the hospital was bulldozed.
Big Boy, Hythe says...
3:23pm Fri 18 Jul 08
LOWE OUT, says...
4:44pm Fri 18 Jul 08
Claire, Forest says...
5:13pm Fri 18 Jul 08
Saintlyish wrote:My oh my, so obvious why Lymington was never included in the National Park. Once the area has been destroyed and every blade of grass built on, Lymington will then be introduced. My annoyance with the whole hospital sell off is the fact that the NHS could have built and made money from houses on the original sites which would have paid for a good few hospitals. My god, talk about giving the land awau for peanuts The only ones that benefitted were the building companies. Still, it will be nice to see them struggle for a while along with estate agents. Talk about money for old rope.
Neil wrote:Oh dear, don't get me started on the 'new' hospital..... Remember when the development was launched it was said it was going to be 'great for Lymington'..yeah right. Nice and Shiny, but there's a Birthing Centre built in they're not allowed to use (this from a midwife), not enough car parking and no A&E. Therefore the services on offer are in fact less than at the old site. Progress? Nope, just a big cheque from the developers....Saintlyish wrote: TBF this project has been flawed from the beginning - the properties on offer are either: a)Aimed at the 2nd Home Market (therefore pricing out the locals anyway) OR b)Shared Ownership for single individuals (all very honourable in theory but we all know that it will be 19yr old Single Mums that end up there). There's a similar 'Affordable Housing' development in Pilley planned where the 17yr olds are already getting pregnant in advance of the development - securing their place in the queue. What would impress would be if the project offered LOWER cost homes for families - below £250k purchase price, which would encourage WORKING families to stay in the area that they grew up in. To top it all, they're likely to build a CARE HOME there - how many more do they need in Lymington ???? The problem is that developers are buying up the 'family size' homes, flattening them and building more flats, that still can't sell. Look at Rightmove for examples - Hillcroft Mews which was a prime site when developed is already looking shabby - with plenty up for sale at lower prices than when they were bought. The local councils need to canvass opinion and use that opinion when looking to approve developments such as these - they nearly always miss the market that they are aiming for. Thank god for the Lymington Society.Lymington Socciety?? This was the group started when the builders started encroaching on those properties south of the high street wasn't it?? I only started hearing from this 'society' once the builders started hammering down houses in the areas close to the marinas. Didn't hear much from them when the hospital was bulldozed.
forestbird, lymington says...
5:55pm Fri 18 Jul 08
Jeff McLean, Chandlers Ford says...
5:58pm Fri 18 Jul 08
Finlay, Des Moines, Iowa says...
8:33pm Fri 18 Jul 08
Posted by: Big Boy, Hythe on 3:23pm today
300 flats on 7 acres! Did I read that right. I am sure that Finlay could tell us if he could sell flats of that size in the Mid-West.
300 flats on 7 acres! Did I read that right. I am sure that Finlay could tell us if he could sell flats of that size in the Mid-West.
andrew, southampton says...
8:51pm Fri 18 Jul 08
IanRR, Romsey-ish says...
1:58am Sat 19 Jul 08
Big Boy, Hythe says...
7:02am Sat 19 Jul 08
paul b, says...
10:12am Sat 19 Jul 08
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Saintlyish, Forest...somewhere says...
10:19am Fri 18 Jul 08
a)Aimed at the 2nd Home Market (therefore pricing out the locals anyway) OR
b)Shared Ownership for single individuals (all very honourable in theory but we all know that it will be 19yr old Single Mums that end up there).
There's a similar 'Affordable Housing' development in Pilley planned where the 17yr olds are already getting pregnant in advance of the development - securing their place in the queue.
What would impress would be if the project offered LOWER cost homes for families - below £250k purchase price, which would encourage WORKING families to stay in the area that they grew up in.
To top it all, they're likely to build a CARE HOME there - how many more do they need in Lymington ????
The problem is that developers are buying up the 'family size' homes, flattening them and building more flats, that still can't sell.
Look at Rightmove for examples - Hillcroft Mews which was a prime site when developed is already looking shabby - with plenty up for sale at lower prices than when they were bought.
The local councils need to canvass opinion and use that opinion when looking to approve developments such as these - they nearly always miss the market that they are aiming for.
Thank god for the Lymington Society.