1. 16 portsmouth.co.uk Wednesday,April22,2015FINAL
NEWS
Bid to acquire
iconic model
A WORKING model of a
village and its railway station
could be put on public display.
The Rowlands Castle Asso-
ciation, a residents’ group,
is working to buy an iconic
model railway set which the
owner is looking to sell.
The model is set during the
end of the Second World War.
Several donations have been
received so far.
Chairman Kevin Connell
said: ‘An informal work group
has continued to investigate
various options for the model’s
acquisition, and also where to
house it safely and securely for
all to see.
‘It has been learned that
the railway station is avail-
able for community use. The
station would also provide an
opportunity to house a larger
collection.’
Anyone who can help can
email kevin.connell555@
hotmail.com.
Bus named after island’s windsurfing legend
A BUS has been named after
a man who claims to have
invented windsurfing.
Hayling Island resident and
engineer Peter Chilvers is
credited with coming up with
the sport in 1958.
Now Stagecoach has put
his name on a single-decker
bus for the 30/31 route linking
Havant and Hayling Island.
Stagecoach’s marketing
officer Steve Thorpe said:
‘Visitors to the event were
invited to suggest a name that
was synonymous with the
island.
‘We wanted to give our new
vehicles a local identity that
both we and the local resi-
dents who catch our buses can
be proud of.’
Gil Carter, a retired engi-
neer, won the competition and
chose Mr Chilvers’ name to be
put on the bus.
Three other buses were
named The Coppist, after the
Second World War heroes
from the island, The Hayling
Billy, after the steam train
and The Olive Leaf – the first
lifeboat for the island.
Gil said: ‘The enthusiasm
for the water prompted me
to seek a name connecting
watersports and Hayling
Island, and the name Peter
Chilvers offered a unique link
that will remind residents and
visitors of the importance of
Hayling in the birth of wind-
surfing which has become an
Olympic sport.
‘I hope that Peter, who
founded a windsurfing school
for underprivileged children
in the London Docks, will like
the tribute.’
The bus is one of five new
vehicles put into service at a
cost of around £500,000.
POPULAR CHOICE Gil and
Carol Carter by the bus
Dementia
cafe set up
A DEMENTIA cafe has been
set up for people with the
condition.
The free monthly event will
take place in the Methodist
Church Hall in High Street,
Lee-on-the-Solent.
It will be held on the last
Thursday of each month from
2pm to 4pm.
Ebola scare
causes
hospital to
briefly shut
A SCARE about a potential
Ebola case caused part of a
hospital to be closed.
Medical experts decided to
temporarily shut the minor
injuries unit at Bognor’s War
Memorial Hospital when a
patient was seen with a poten-
tially fatal disease.
The closure lasted for two
hours while tests were carried
out last Thursday.
A spokesman for Sussex
Community NHS Trust, which
runs the hospital in Shripney
Road, said: ‘A patient arrived
at Bognor Regis minor inju-
ries unit with a potentially
infectious illness.
‘The unit was temporar-
ily closed following infection
control good practice.
‘It was reopened following
advice from Public Health
England and is now operating
as normal.’
A PHE spokeswoman said
it had not received a sample
for testing and added: ‘NHS
colleagues use our expert
guidance to assess patients.
‘In many cases, this will
lead them not to request an
Ebola test because the criteria
for test are not met.’
Hundreds of jobs on
the line as application
for estate is put in
AROUND 300 jobs are at risk
as a planning application has
been put in to build a 3,500-
home estate on a site that
includes an industrial park.
More than 50 businesses,
which operate from Bury
Farm, in Botley Road,
Curbridge, face finding new
locations if the estate is
approved.
The application has
been put into Winchester
City Council by the North
Whiteley Consortium to build
3,500 homes, two primary
schools, a secondary school,
two community centres,
sports pitches, and more.
Link roads from Whiteley
and Botley Road are also
included, plus cycleway and
footpath networks.
Businesses at Bury Farm
said they felt ‘left out of the
loop’ as they only found out
when signs went up nearby.
Richard Grant, MD
of Wessex Demolition &
Crushing Services, said: ‘No
one made us aware. There
are a lot of businesses here
and not one of them has been
told.’
Mr Grant said that his busi-
ness had been on the site for
25 years and he employs 48
staff, plus contractors, whose
jobs would be at risk if the
business was forced to move.
He said that at least 50 busi-
nesses operate at the six-acre
Bury Farm and that a joint
objection has been submitted
to the council.
Mr Grant said: ‘On this site
they could probably build
around 100 homes. They
should sacrifice those homes
to leave the trading estate
here as it been growing over
the years and can give the
local community much-need-
ed employment.’
Executive member for
economy at Hampshire Coun-
ty Council Sean Woodward
said that he had instructed
officers to look into the issues
at the site and to see if there
could be an alternative.
He said: ‘I cannot ignore the
300 workers as the planning
application incorporates that
site. We need to work together
to find sites to move the busi-
nesses to as it could mean
the loss of tens of thousands
from the local economy and
hundreds of jobs.’
Mike Evans, chairman of
Whiteley Town Council, said
the planning application had
been public knowledge for at
least seven years.
He said: ‘It is not up to the
consortium, if the landowner
said yes to selling the land.’
No decision date has been
set by Winchester council.
It could mean the loss of tens
of thousands from the local
economy and hundreds of jobs
Hampshire County Council’s Cllr Sean Woodward
Fifty businesses will have to move
if plan for 3,500 homes is approved
by KIMBERLEY BARBER
Fareham reporter
kimberley.barber@thenews.co.uk
Nursery now outstanding
TOP MARKS Children at Portsdown Primary School nursery with staff and parents led by school headteacher Irene
Baldry, centre, celebrate the nursery’s recent outstanding Ofsted report Picture: Ian Hargreaves (150546-3)
HARD work has paid off at Portsdown
Primary School Nursery, which has been
classed ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted.
The nursery was determined to improve
after getting ‘satisfactory’ in its last
inspection.
Headteacher Irene Baldry said: ‘We are
completely overwhelmed and thrilled to
bits.
‘We’ve worked really hard as the last
report required improvements and we’ve
come a long way since then.
‘It’s great recognition for the hard work
and dedication from staff, as well as the
support from the parents who have been
behind us 100 per cent.
‘We’ve concentrated on safeguarding and
the standard of care, as well as introducing
workshops for parents to come in and work
alongside the key workers to learn about
care, safety and how to play.’
Special assemblies were held for both
morning and afternoon children.
Irene said: ‘The parents were invited in to
enjoy tea, coffee and a big cake which had
outstanding and our school logo on it.
‘It was a fun day of celebrating with
workshops and making funny face masks.’