IT HAS been at the heart of the local community for more than 70 years.
The Waterside Theatre was used to stage a variety of events from fundraising sing-alongs to meetings of the New Forest National Park Authority.
But the 300-seat former cinema in Long Lane, Holbury, has stood empty for the past four years.
Now Esso and ExxonMobil, which own neighbouring Fawley refinery, have applied for planning permission to bulldoze the huge complex and transform the site.
Proposals include a new sports pavilion and a community garden with a picnic lawn and lines of cherry trees.
The application says the Esso Sports and Recreation Club, also known as the Holbury Club, was built in 1949 for people working at the refinery.
It adds: "It 2002 it was leased to Waterside Sports and Social Club (WSSC). In late 2016 WSSC went into liquidation and since then the buildings have stood empty and boarded-up and have been subject to sporadic incidents of theft and vandalism."
The application cites the cost of keeping the site safe and adds: "It is uneconomic to further maintain these redundant buildings.
"It is therefore considered preferable to replace them with a landscaped community garden. In addition a new purpose-built pavilion is proposed to be built toward the rear of the site, overlooking the sports field."
New Forest District Council has already received several letters from people commenting on the proposals.
Ian Spencelayh was a member of the Waterside Theatre Company and the Waterside Musical Society, both of which made full use of the site.
His letter to the council says the existing complex is "old , expensive and sprawling" but describes the potential loss of the theatre as a "travesty" and says it should be replaced with a new facility.
Mr Spencelayh adds: "A new site could have a much better design with input from many prospective users.
"Restore this valuable resource. It will be needed even more with a 1,500-dwelling site being designed at the old Fawley power station."
CONTACT ME
t: 023 8042 4503
e: chris.yandell@
dailyecho.co.uk
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