GETTING more recreational and employment land as well as tackling traffic problems in the town are just some of the issues that could be explored in Fordingbridge’s neighbourhood plan, the town council heard.

The plan is designed to allow communities to shape the development of their local area. A referendum of residents then decides whether it is adopted.

Councillor Mike Jackson said that as nearly all the housing was going to the north of the town more recreational land was needed in that area.“One of the issues we want to raise with New Forest District Council is if they could look at the applications one rather than individually,” he added. The plan is not “fixed in tablets of stone” and is based on what is known at the moment. He also said the need for employment land also needed to be looked at.

In terms of traffic problems in the town he suggested investigating making Salisbury Road and Salisbury Street one-way, adding: “If we made Salisbury Road one-way we could then put a proper cycleway/walkway track from predominantly up at the Burgate area where most of the new people coming back into the town. That is something we ought to be looking at.”

Councillor Alan Lewendon questioned where the traffic would go and the problems for public transport. “Which ever direction you make the one-way we have an almost impossible situation of where does the traffic going the other direction go.”llr Jackson replied: “If you make it one-way going north you can go round the by-pass.”He added there would be problems with the junctions at Burgate and a one-way system would add to them.

Cllr Jackson said: “The whole point about these discussions Alan is to throw ideas around and discuss them. I’m just putting possible solutions. I’m not saying this is the solution.”

Councillor Pete White said: “What would be the benefit of upsetting traffic route in through town for the benefit of a cycle path.”

Cllr Jackson said making Salisbury Street one way would reduce some of the problems there, adding: “I’m not saying this is a solution. We complain about the traffic problems but nobody is looking at what the potential solutions are.”

Cllr Lewendon said he had looked at the traffic issues in great detail and he could not come up with an answer, adding: “We are an old town. There has been no sort of planned development of the town centre of Fordingbridge it has just developed and developed and developed. This is the situation we are in short of pulling houses down and pulling the centre out I don’t think there is really any answer.”

Cllr Jackson said: “Well okay, there’s no answer that’s fine.”

Mayor Edward Hale said he liked the idea of a 20mph speed limit and the issues would be discussed further.

“We have 1274 coming to us and on the basis that the average size of a house is 100sqm and the CIL levied by New Forest District Council is £100 a square metre if we calcaulate and work at the 15 per cent of CIL which comes to us it is a figure of about £2MILLION. That is based on the 15 per cent.

“In looking at this I came to the conclusion where as we have been doing this saying ‘if we can get the neihgbourhood plan in place we potentially could get 25 per cent. There are so many onknowns with that that one would discount that as a bonus. I fwe are getting 15 per cent that is still quite a good sum to work on.

“The advantage of ignoring that 25 per cent factor Is that i then believe we can do the neighbourhood plan within the budgeted figure.”

£9,000 from the government grant and £5,000 from the town council’s reserves.

The we won’t have to employ an expensive planning consultant, which he said had always been a concern.

Thought with people already in pplace could achieve it on their own.

Will have some consultation costs and oter things. Didn’t see the costs becoming more than £14,000.