Testwood Club, Totton, demolished to make way for housing

The old Testwood Club in Salisbury Road, Totton, is being torn down to make way for 12 flats to help meet the demand for affordable housing.

The start of demolition work was caught on camera by former member Ricky Wallis, who lives nearby.

Posting on social media he said: "A sad day when you sit indoors listening to the destruction of a local club which I'd been going to since the late 1970s."

The former Testwood Club in Totton is being demolished to make way for housing. Picture: Ricky Wallis (Image: Ricky Wallis)Many people have also gone online to voice their dismay at the building's demise.

One person said: "It was the exact place that we really needed in Totton, with everything the other pubs etc didn't offer."

Another added: "The happiest times held in my heart forever."

Totton councillor David Harrison told the Daily Echo: "Testwood Club has been a constant presence in our community for generations.

"It has hosted thousands of events, bringing people together to enjoy all sorts of entertainment, from bingo, jumble sales to heavy rock music. Many people will feel sad that it is no longer there.

READ MORE: Totton social club at the heart of the community to close after 70 years

"I would like to express my gratitude to everyone who ran the club or organised events. We still have the memories of good times."

The former Testwood Club in Totton is being demolished to make way for housing. Picture: Ricky Walls (Image: Ricky Wallis)

The club closed in 2018 and was bought by New Forest District Council, which gave itself planning permission to transform the site by building a two and three-storey block containing one and two-bedroom flats.

The council's planning application said the community activities that took place in the building had moved to other venues.

It added: "This site has previously been identified by both private and public sector organisations as being suitable for housing."

The application sparked nine letters of objection, including two from the same address. Objectors said the building was too big and amounted to overdevelopment of the site. They also feared extra traffic would endanger cyclists and pedestrians.

The former Testwood Club at Totton is being demolished to make way for housing. Picture: Ricky Wallis (Image: Ricky Wallis)

But a report to councillors cited the number of people waiting for affordable homes in Totton.

READ MORE: Former Testwood Club in Totton to be demolished and replaced by 12 affordable flats

It added that the proposed development complied with policy, amounted to an appropriate use for a vacant site and would provide much-needed homes.

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