Pennington is a ward (electoral and ecclesiastical) in the New Forest district of Hampshire, England, which is defined based on the boundaries of the earlier manor. Pennington Village is at the centre of the ward, with Upper Pennington to the north and Lower Pennington to the south. The population taken at the 2011 census was 6,060. It is in the southernmost part of the New Forest on the Solent coastline near to the town of Lymington, with which it shares the civil parish of Lymington and Pennington. Pennington sits on the river terrace plateau between Avon Water to the west and Yaldhurst stream to the east. The Solent forms Pennington's southern coastal border. The northern border is Sway Road. The hamlet of Bowling Green is in Upper Pennington on the border with Sway. Overview The ward can be split into three broad areas: Upper Pennington, Pennington Village, and Lower Pennington. Land use in Upper Pennington is mostly agricultural and residential. Gordleton Industrial Estate is in Upper Pennington, and is home to various businesses. Lower Pennington is home to important local infrastructure including a solar farm, a water treatment works, a recycling centre, and certain landfill sites, as well as a number of farms. Oakhaven Hospice is located in Lower Pennington. Pennington Village is the main historical settlement and is where major residential development throughout the twentieth century was concentrated. Most of Pennington's shops are located in the village along with a majority of Pennington's schools. Pennington Village also has a leisure centre, which has a 25-metre indoor swimming pool, a sports hall, a gym, and an astro-turf football pitch. Pennington Common and Pennington Recreation Ground are open spaces used for sports and local community events. Pennington and Oxey Marshes, historically the largest salt pans in the area, are popular spots for bird watching, walking, fishing, photography and cycling. Pennington Common and Upper Common are designated Sites of Special Scientific Interests ('SSSIs'). Pennington and Oxey Marshes are divided into 11 designated SSSIs (references listed below). New Forest District Council's 2014 Local Plan and Local Plan Review propose significant development across the Upper and Lower Pennington areas. A Neighbourhood Development Plan is being drafted by Lymington and Pennington Town Council to shape that future development. Shops and businesses Shops are centred around the square in Pennington Village, and a small arcade of shops built on Fox Pond. There are four public houses: