Crosfield Hall to be discussed at Romsey Future community event

A meeting of the Romsey Forum in September heard that plans are moving forward to move the Crosfield Hall to the Rapids site, and build new car parks and new flats. 

The scheme is focussed around the area south of the town centre including the bus station and Aldi.

The proposal has attracted strong opposition with scores of people writing to the Romsey Advertiser in objection to the hall being moved. Residents say they don't want it to move, only modernised. 

Romsey Future is hosting the event at Romsey Town Hall on Saturday, November 18 from 10am-2pm.

READ MORE: Crosfield Hall 'in dire need of replacement', says Romsey councillor

Alec Fry, of Love Lane, wrote: “I do not think Romsey needs this sort of project work; it is liable to drive trade away which may well not return. The idea of removing the Crosfield Hall I think is a serious miscalculation of what we need and what we enjoy. Having to go to the Rapids area to get these facilities is not a welcome idea.”

Pete Morton, of Church Lane, said: “I think the balance of the town layout is OK and Aldi is big enough and I question whether the new development would be considered at all if it was not being pushed by private finance.”

Currently the proposal to move has the support of both Conservative and Liberal Democract councillors.

Tory county and borough councillor Nick Adams-King told the September Romsey Forum meeting that a planning application for the first phase of development could be submitted by the end of next year. 

A post on the Romsey Forum Facebook page said: “The journey started in 2013 and produced its first major report in late 2018 and a report on the South of Town Centre Masterplan in 2020.

“The 2018 report includes a description of the consultation process used to establish the priorities that local residents had, some 15 opportunities were made available for anyone to meet with and influence those closely involved with bringing together individual opinions on the future of our town. 

SEE ALSO: Crosfield Hall: Romsey Local History Society on public opinion

“Many hundreds of individuals and a number of interested organisations added their views to the process, all were carefully considered and are documented in the reports that are available on the Romsey Future website.

“Proposals for the Crosfield Hall site are currently causing concern from some in the community and that is perfectly legitimate, it would be useful if those commenting would make the time to read the published reports, perhaps talk to current Crosfield Hall users and if you can, those that feel the facilities in the hall no longer meet the needs of the community.

“Decisions on the the Romsey Town Centre need to be made on the future requirements of our community, requirements that we the residents need to identify.”

Lib Dem councillor Mark Cooper, who chairs the southern area planning committee in Crosfield Hall, recently said: “The Crosfield Hall is in dire need of replacement. I’ve used the Crosfield for 47 years. And since Duttons Road TVBC offices closed all TVBC’s Romsey’s meetings have been held at Crosfield. They’re not a good experience. The main hall is too big for planning meetings and it’s a real bind for staff to set up for council meetings. The heating is inefficient, problematic and expensive with very poor building insulation; the acoustics are awful; the loos are antediluvian; the small meeting rooms are too small and the stage mainly abandoned and under-used ever since RAODS decamped to the Plaza many years ago.”

For more details about the latest proposals, visit romseyfuture.org.uk/the-masterplan.