THIS is how a waterfront site in Lymington will look after it has been transformed by an £80m housing scheme.

A developer has released a new artist's impression of the Lyming-ton Shores complex, which will be built on the former Webbs chicken factory site at Bridge Road.

Derelict industrial buildings that used to occupy the land will be replaced by more than 300 apartments and penthouses.

Barry Stiles, sales director of Redrow Homes (Southern) said: "Lymington is an area where property prices have significantly exceeded the national average.

"There's a dynamic local economy and housing market with a large number of people aspiring to live there. Our development is set to meet demand from a mixture of local people, downsizers, holiday home owners, retirees and people escaping the London rat race'.

"It will be a fantastic development in a very beautiful location."

The scheme will comprise 205 apartments, 55 shared-ownership properties, ten live-work units, 38 affordable homes, a restaurant, shops and underground parking.

Redrow has spent several weeks demolishing the industrial buildings that used to occupy the land, which overlooks the Lymington River.

Once one of the biggest employers in the Lymington area, the factory closed several years ago with the loss of more than 500 jobs.

The site was later sold to Paxton Holdings, whose first application to build hundreds of homes and a 100-bed hotel was rejected by the district council in 2004.

However, the council approved a revised application the following year - despite continued opposition in the town. Paxton later applied for permission to replace the hotel with a 60-bed care home and lodged an appeal after consent was refused. Earlier this year a government-appointed planning inspector allowed the appeal and ordered the council to pay Paxton more than £30,000 costs.

n Who was watching? And what the site was like - page two.