The Town Council is pleased to announce that it has completed the purchase of land to the west of Springfield Crescent, from Persimmon Homes.

This important acquisition secures the site for the future benefit of our community. The Town Council’s long-term vision is to develop the land into a Town Park, creating a welcoming green space for residents and visitors to enjoy, with open views across the surrounding countryside.

Residents will recall a few months ago the concern caused when this large area of land was put up for auction and reportedly sold to unknown buyers. Concerns were expressed on social media and directly to Town Councillors.

This area of land was already earmarked in the Neighbourhood Plan (2017 – 2026) as a Town Park, so the Town Council made enquiries and soon discovered that the sale had not gone through. And following negotiations between the Town Council and Persimmon Homes, the Town Council completed the purchase, paid for from the reserves of the Town Council, and will not impact the precept.

John Gantlett, Persimmon Homes Wessex Land and Planning director said: “We’re delighted to support the Town Council’s vision for a new community park. This land transfer reflects our commitment to creating spaces that enhance local life and provide lasting benefits for residents.”

And Mayor, Cllr Steve Bucknell, who has been the driving force behind the idea of a Town Park close to the High Street, added: “This important acquisition secures the site for the future benefit of our community. The Town Council’s long-term vision is to develop the land into a Town Park. This idea was first proposed nearly 20 years ago after a survey revealed the town’s need to improve dwell time, how long people stay in the town, supporting the long-term viability of the High Street and the Town Centre as a whole.

A Town Park will create a welcoming green space for residents and visitors to enjoy, with open views across the surrounding countryside.

In the short term we hope to work with RWB Environmental Trust and other volunteers to clean the site up. There are steep drops into the site from Springfield Crescent, and longer-term residents of the town will be aware that the land used to contain a large pond and an orchard. It is currently heavily overgrown and has been victim of some fly-tipping over the years”.

Further updates will be shared as plans progress, but this purchase marks a positive step towards enhancing local green spaces and quality of life in our town.