NEW SPORTS facilities are being built as part of a luxury housing scheme springing up on the Hampshire coast.

The award-winning Lymington Shores complex will include a new base for the town's rowing club, which has been part of the local community since 1881.

Dubbed the biggest development in the town for 60 years, Lymington Shores will comprise almost 170 homes, plus shops and an art gallery.

One of the new sports facilities - an 80-metre pontoon - has already been handed over to Lymington Harbour Commissioners by Redrow Homes.

Redrow is also planning to build a clubhouse for the rowers and a waterfront restaurant that will provide diners with panoramic views of the Lymington River. The overall package will cost more than £1 million.

Lymington harbourmaster Ryan Willegers said: “We're absolutely thrilled with the new pontoon and the benefits it will bring to Lymington Amateur Rowing Club.

"The pontoon provides low-level access to the river at all states of tide, which means members will be able to launch and recover with ease.

"This will have a hugely-positive impact on the club and its members.

“Redrow has been instrumental in overseeing the process and we're grateful to those involved for assisting in the delivery of the pontoon. This is the first step in an exciting series of improvements, with the new clubhouse soon to follow."

The T-shaped pontoon will also provide dinghy moorings, enabling visiting yachtsmen to access the proposed new restaurant.

Mr Willegers added: “The rowing club and its members have been part of the Lymington River community since 1881. The new facilities will help the club increase its membership and have continued use of the river for many years to come.”

Mark Vanson, sales director at Redrow Homes, described the completion of the pontoon as a "milestone" in the construction of the Lymington Shores scheme.

The development includes one and two-bedroom apartments, luxury penthouses and three and five-bedroom villas. Prices range from £324,950 to £1,795,000.

As reported in the Daily Echo, a footbridge is due to be built over a railway line that separates the homes from the town centre.

But Redrow has run into opposition from South West Trains, which is worried about the potential loss of car parking spaces at Lymington Town station.

South West Trains says it has asked the developer to draw up an alternative proposal.