Councillor Barry Dunning

Reform UK

Lymington & Boldre Division (Hampshire County Council)

Lymington Ward (New Forest District Council)

Lymington and Pennington Town Council

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A Local Voice for Real Change in Lymington

Councillor Barry Dunning is a dedicated local representative who lives and breathes Lymington. A long-serving councillor with over 12 years’ experience across Hampshire County Council, New Forest District Council, and Lymington and Pennington Town Council, Barry swirtched to Reform UK in October 2025, calling it his “freedom day.”

Barry left the Conservatives because endless managed decline, rising costs, and policies that hurt local businesses and residents no longer aligned with common sense.
 

Barry is known for getting things done at the coal face – fighting for practical improvements rather than chasing national headlines or bureaucratic targets. He has consistently opposed damaging parking restrictions on Lymington High Street, which he argues have contributed to shop closures while delivering little benefit to the town.
 

Key Achievements

Barry has delivered tangible results for the Lymington area:

• Safety of our Children — Campaigned successfully for improved road safety measures, including pushing for new crossings on Ramsey Road and Avenue Road outside local schools to protect pupils and parents.
   

• Protecting the Lymington River — Funded and supported Friends of the Earth research exposing decades of pollution (including raw sewage discharges). He has been vocal in demanding answers and action to safeguard this vital local waterway.
   

• Keeping Our Town Tidy — Backed the Litter Pickers of the New Forest with funding and support to clear waste and rubbish, helping maintain Lymington’s attractive appearance for residents and visitors alike.
   

• Supporting the Vulnerable — Provided funding for the Village Hub at Pennington and the Food Fayre, delivering practical help to local people in need.
   

These actions show Barry’s focus on prevention, community, and visible local improvements — rather than wasting money on consultants, DEI schemes, or net-zero virtue-signalling.
 

Barry’s Key Views & Priorities

As a Reform UK councillor, Barry stands firmly for Local First principles:

• Child Safety First — Our schools and streets must be safe. No more liberal indoctrination or gender ideology in classrooms — children deserve discipline, high standards, and a proper British education.
   

• Protecting Local Services — Resources like housing, parking, and council support should prioritise people who live, work, and contribute in the New Forest. We must control immigration and stop stretching services to breaking point.
   

• Value for Money — End the waste. Cut spending on unnecessary green targets and bureaucracy so council tax actually fixes potholes, improves drainage, and delivers better roads and infrastructure.
   

• Supporting Local Business & Town Centres — Scrap damaging parking schemes that kill high streets. Lymington’s economy relies on thriving shops, tourism, and a vibrant town centre — not more restrictions.
   

• Environmental Common Sense — Clean rivers and tidy streets matter, but not through expensive, top-down CO2 targets that hit residents’ wallets without real benefit. Local stewardship, not quangos.
   

• Free Speech & Accountability — Councillors should be able to stand up for their communities best interest at all times
   

Barry is clear-eyed about the challenges facing Lymington and the wider New Forest: rising costs, housing pressures that price out local families, infrastructure neglect, and decisions drifting further from residents. He believes Reform UK offers the only realistic path to honest reform — both locally and nationally.

Barry Dunning’s promise: Practical action for Lymington residents, no more excuses, and a relentless focus on putting local people first.