More than 100 staff members including 90 front line nurses have left QA hospital to return to their EU countries, Liberal Democrats have discovered via the freedom of information act.

By October 16^th the equivalent of 91.15 full time Band 5 Staff Nurses had left the hospital for EU countries, leaving the hospital with 324.38 vacant posts. These Band 5 nurses are on the front line dealing with the day to day running of wards caring and attending to the needs of their patients. This number accounts for almost a third of nursing staff at the hospital.

Many of these positions are currently being filled by expensive agency nurses, who are often not only unfamiliar with the running of wards but are also a heavy drain on the finances of the NHS trust.

Other staff including consultants, doctors, radiographers and other health scientists have left, leaving a total of 113.15 full time and equivalent posts vacant.

Councillor Gerry Kelly, the Liberal Democrat spokesman on health and public protection on Fareham Borough Council, who put in the FOI request said, “Staff who have been helping to keep our principal hospital going are voting with their feet as a result of uncertainty over their future after Brexit.”

Applications to erect two-metre fences round open space in Hill Head have now been rejected by planing officers.

(Details can be found on Fareham Council’s website, ref P/18/0864/LP and P/18/0866/LP)

But the Lib Dems have found that other green spaces could be under threat.

The green north of Springfield Way has been enjoyed by everyone for decades since the estate was built in the 1970s, but two sections of the land were recently sold at auction.

Those sections, though listed as public open space in Fareham’s local plan, were never owned by Fareham Council.

Agents for the applicants said they wanted the fence to prevent vandalism, anti-social behaviour and fly-tipping.

Councillor Jim Forrest says: “I don’t recall any of these issues arising in this space in the 25 years I’ve lived in Hill Head. A fence would destroy the view and prevent lawful use.

“Scores of residents wrote to the Council to say the same, and happily the plans have been quashed.”

But Jim, who is Lib Dem spokesman on planning and development, adds: “This could have worrying implications for Fareham as a whole. I’ve made inquiries and found there are other sites around Fareham where land currently in use as open space is still in private hands."

“I’ve put a question to the Council to ask how many such sites there are and what can be done to protect them.”

The Brexitometer came to Fareham this weekend, asking local residents: is Brexit is going well, how it will affect Jobs, the NHS and should we have a vote on the final deal.

Lib Dems were joined by Green and Labour activists in a cross party attempt to engage with local residents, discuss the impact of the Brexit and call for a People's Vote on the final deal. A broad range of views were encountered from wholehearted support to "We've already voted".

A number of leavers declined the opportunity to participate, but of the people who did, a large majority do not think the negotiatons are going well and that we should have a final say on the outcome.

Photo of some of the concerned activists who spent time handing out leaflets during four and a half hours on a bitterly cold day!

 

Developers have published a proposal to build 200 homes on land between the old and new routes of Newgate Lane South.

They say it would “provide a natural extension” to homes proposed east of the new road in Fareham’s Draft Local Plan.

But under that draft Local Plan, the land west of the new road remains part of the strategic gap separating Stubbington from Fareham.

The land on which Fareham Council is proposing to allow up to 475 homes under its revised plan is itself being sliced from the strategic gap as it was agreed under the original Local Plan in 2015.

Stubbington Councillor Jim Forrest - pictured with resident Lesley Davies - says: "The old part of Newgate Lane has just been restored to its country lane character - we’ll fight to keep it that way. This new proposal from developers, on top of what Fareham Council has already suggested, is just plain greedy."

No planning application has yet been submitted for the suggested new homes, but we'll let you know if one appears