New Milton Advertiser 18th December 2020

Friday 18th December 2020 · 17 News

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Obituary

Churchill defends retirement flats bid

Shirley Bolt Former Hythe GP and psychosexual therapist

Prize for trust’s text service A TEXT messaging support service won a local NHS trust a national accolade in the Nursing Times Awards. Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust scooped the Nursing in Mental Health category for using the ChatHealth system since 2015 to help young people and parents of children. The trust’s Ginny Taylor said: “Having ChatHealth as a key access point ensures that our team of expert health visitors and school nurses are able to respond and react to concerns and queries quickly.” Wheel di erence for food bank THIRTY shopping bags filled with groceries, toilet- ries and Christmas treats were donated to the Water- side Foodbank by the Hythe Inner Wheel Club. Club president Wendy Lewis and district chairman Mary Fenn delivered the donations to Jan Hayter, co-ordinator at the Black- Man died from ecstasy overdose families in our community and Inner Wheel members were pleased to help spread a little bit of festive cheer,” Wendy said. AN ecstasy overdose result- ed in the death of a 36-year- old New Forest man, an inquest heard. Patrick Lismore passed away at his home address in Sheldrake Gardens, Hordle, on 2nd February this year. The post-mortem exami- nation result, revealing the class A drug also known as MDMA as the cause, was read out during a hearing re- cently opened at Winchester Coroner’s Court. A full inquest is due to take place at the same court on 18th August 2021. PHONE 01425 612594 to place a display advertisement field-based foodbank. “This has been a very difficult year for many

FORMER Hythe GP and psychosexual therapist Shirley Bolt has died aged 86. Shirley was a practice part- ner at Hythe Medical Centre – now Waterside Health Centre – in Beaulieu Road, and worked part-time for ExxonMobil as an on-site GP at the company’s Fawley refinery. Born in Hong Kong in 1934 to a military family, Shirley moved to England after winning a scholarship to the Royal School for Daughters of Officers of the Army in Bath. She went on to study med- icine at Girton College, Cam- bridge, and later, during her residency at St Thomas’s Hos- pital in London, she met her first husband Dr Thomas Moles – known as Mike. Shirley returned to Hong Kong when Mike took up a posting with the Royal Army Medical Corp, and they enjoyed life in Repulse Bay with their four children, Mandy, Rory, Jono and Lucy. Years later the family settled on the Waterside in Langley, and Shirley joined Hythe Med- ical Centre, where she contin- ued to care for patients until her retirement. She was also a psychosexual therapist. Her marriage to Mike broke down in 1977 and Shirley later married John Coleman, a BBC documentary producer. Daughter Lucy said the two were “true soul mates”, travel- ling the world, raising money for charities and spending hap- py times socialising with their many friends and family at their home in Langley. “In retirement, mum became an accomplished and fearless potter and a gifted maker of

A DEVELOPER has defended draft plans to build retirement homes on Lymington’s former police station. Churchill Retirement Living wants to turn the Southampton Road site into a collection of one and two-bedroom self-con- tained flats for older people – although it has not yet revealed exactly how many it is consider- ing or submitted a formal plan- ning application. As reported in the A&T, civic group the Lymington Society criticised the scheme as help- ing to “drive out families” and change the character of the area. Churchill has rejected those claims and argued there was a “compelling overall housing need” for older people in the town. Stuart Goodwill, manag- ing director of Churchill Re- tirement Living’s in-house planning consultancy, said: “The number of local res- idents aged 75 and over is projected to increase by 65% by 2030, and almost half the local population is projected Councillor calls for NFDC to buy site for a ordable homes BY JON WALLER

embroidery and quilts,” said Lucy. “Her work was exhibited at the Barbican Art Gallery in London. “She and John took up skiing in their 60s and mum learned to scuba dive, remaining very fit and active until shortly before her death.” After John died in 2008, Shirley moved to a farmhouse in the Derbyshire countryside to be closer to her eldest daugh- ter Mandy and her family. “Mum made a beautiful and welcoming home there, but she never really recovered from the loss of her beloved husband,” said Lucy. Shirley leaves behind her four children, her step-children Iain and Anne, grandchildren Freya and Sorrel, Edie and Flynn and Mallory and Angus, step-grand- children David and Alice, and step-great-grandchild Patrick. Shirley died after a short illness on 7th December sur- rounded by her family at home.

Draft plans for the old Lymington police station site

to be aged 55 and over by 2036.” He cited research by Housing LIN, a network for the retire- ment property industry, which claimed 275 new homes a year will be needed to meet rising demand from the New Forest district’s older population. “With only 30 or so homes a year of this type having been built over the last decade, we need to do much more to meet the future needs of our older generation,” he continued. “A new development in Lymington would help to pro- vide more choice for older people looking to downsize, which would in turn free up much-needed homes for young- er families and first-time buyers in the local area.” Further benefits included the scheme’s boost to the lo- cal economy since the flats

are within walking distance of shops and restaurants, he said. He pointed out that over half the units had been sold at Churchill’s Knights Lodge de- velopment in North Close in the town since it was opened in No- vember 2019. However, Pennington coun- cillor Jack Davies has written to New Forest District Council urging it to consider borrowing to buy the site for affordable housing. He said: “If New Forest Dis- trict Council allow another load of retirement flats to be built at the Avenue Road/Southampton Road junction they’ll turn this part of Lymington into the ‘re- tirement quarter’. “We must put the needs of lo- cal people first and build social housing on this site. It’s wrong that a site which has served our

community so well for so long should be sold off so a develop- er can profit.” Churchill has launched a public consultation and said it has started initial talks with NFDC over its plans, with a view to submitting a formal applica- tion in the New Year. It aims to have the first occupations by 2024. Draft designs published last week on Churchill’s website show shared communal facil- ities, an amenity space and an average parking ratio of one space per three flats. As reported in the A&T, Lym- ington police officers relocat- ed in October to the town hall from the old building, which dates back to 1952. The deadline for comment- ing to Churchill on the plan via info@churchillretirement.co.uk is today (Friday).

Mayor’s pennies push a boost for family hub

Quad bike owners given crime advice

PEOPLE dug down the back of sofas to support New Milton mayor Cllr Alvin Reid’s pennies appeal for a family support hub in Ashley. A total of £550 was gathered in the Collect Coppers for Char- ity initiative for the organisa- tion which has been assisting families during the pandemic. The money was boosted by a further £1,300 donated by guests due to attend the mayor’s charity ball in March which was cancelled. A socially distanced cheque presentation ceremony was held

in which Cllr Reid handed the money to Sarah Dibben, head teacher of Ashley Infant School and leader of the family hub. Cllr Reid said: “Everyone gave a little. Eventually it made a big difference to the local community.” Ms Dibben added: “We con- tinue to explore how the Ashley family hub can reopen to sup- port local families and we are currently finalising plans to re- open in a Covid-friendly way as soon as possible.” Visit www.ashleyfamilyhub. co.uk

QUAD bike owners in Dor- set have been urged by police not to let their vehicles be- come an easy Christmas gift for thieves. The force’s rural crime team has issued advice to owners of all-terrain and utility terrain vehicles because there was a spike of festive offences in 2019, with 38 stolen across the coun- ty. Police community support of- ficer Tom Balchin said: “These vehicles have proved popu-

lar during the last 10 years on farms and smallholdings alike due to their multipurpose uses, but this has also seen them become a popular target for thieves.” Among its tips, the force urged vehicles be kept in a lock- able garage, secured with a grip lock and fixed ground anchors, fitted with tracking immobil- isers and GPS, and stored in an area covered by security light- ing and CCTV with sensors and alarms.

Cllr Alvin Reid, Donna Lenton (centre) and Sarah Dibben

HOLLAND’S ALL OF US AT HOLLAND’S WOULD LIKE TO WISH ALL OUR CUSTOMERS A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS

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Are you stuck for what to give a dog owner this Christmas? How about membership of the New Forest Dog Owners Group. It costs just £5.00 a year for individuals, an extra £1.00 for family members. We protect the freedoms of responsible walking off the lead in the New Forest, working with local partners and the park authorities. We promote good dog welfare and we run a local lost dog service. We ’ re also the largest fundraiser for research into Alamama Rot in the UK. More than 1000 members already support us, receive a twice yearly newsletter, use our website, meet us at shows, and we ’ ve more offers coming soon. You can join or gift to a friend online, or by a form downloadable at http://www.nfdog.org.uk/#join This advertisement was paid for by private donation.