16 portsmouth.co.uk Wednesday, April 22, 2015FINAL

NEWS

Bid to acquireiconic modelA 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 legendA 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 upA 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 shutA 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.’