News | Page 11

Due to rising fuel and other costs charities say they are finding it difficult to cope. Solent Rescue, an independent lifeboat based at Lepe Country Park, in Exbury, covers around 33 square miles of the central and western Solent.

Firefighters in Hampshire gathered for a mass meeting over job cuts to the service. The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) met at Winchester Fire Station to discuss a protest march over the central government cuts. The FBU, which has hundreds of members in Hampshire, says 64 firefighting posts in the county will be lost.

The Conservative leader of Southampton City Council, Royston Smith defended an election leaflet criticising unions, saying everything in it is true. He backs its claims that unions “intimidated” workers into voting against plans to cut pay, jobs and services in a battle to fill a deficit in the authority’s budget.

Four hundred jobs could be created in Southampton after plans will be submitted for a new supermarket later this year. The building scheme would see the food store replace the East Street Shopping Centre and a new pedestrian access route connecting East Street to St Mary’s. The redevelopment, involving a Morrisons store being built, is in association with Southampton council.

Fareham College is preparing for job losses as a result of funding cuts. A trimmed budget means the college has announced plans to axe 32 jobs, which could include as many as nine teaching posts. College officials say they are acting ahead of proposed cuts and have launched a month-long consultation with unions.

The leader of Hampshire County Council defended the authority paying £100,000-a-year to appoint a new broadband chief. Tory Councillor Ken Thornber said: “Faster broadband speeds are vital for the continued economic prosperity of Hampshire.

The University of Plymouth has justified its decision to pay its vice-chancellor £283,504 per year, a wage rise of one-fifth. Nick Buckland, chairman of the university’s board of governors and chairman of its Remuneration Committee defended the salary.

Councillor Sean Woodward, executive leader of Fareham Borough Council (FBC), explained that the authority is working to save money for the taxpayer through shared services. “We already have in place a highly successful building control partnership with Gosport Borough Council and we are keen to continue to work with neighbouring authorities to improve service delivery while reducing costs,” he said.

Firefighters needed half the night to tackle a major fire at a supermarket in Plymouth. Crews from Crownhill and Greenbank were called to the blaze at the Tesco store in Transit Way, Crownhill, at about 0100 GMT last week. No-one was injured in the fire, which is thought to have begun in a refrigeration unit and did major damage. The store was partially closed for the following day.

Southampton City Council and Fareham Borough Council will combine their legal teams in a cost-cutting bid later this year if the plan is approved at a meeting later this week (commencing Monday, January 17). A senior legal officer at Fareham council has already been made redundant. His departure will clear the way for the two authorities to share one solicitor and thus make major savings.

Southampton City Council must shed 250 jobs because it is faced with an even worse budget deficit than expected. The authority has worked out that its reduced central grant will until 2013 leave it with £5m less than expected. The leader of the council, Cllr Royston Smith, said: "We now understand that we will need to find savings of £25million next year to meet the funding shortfall.

Two Southampton bodies have teamed up to revitalise a former shipyard which will create 700 skilled jobs. South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) and Southampton City Council have combined with a private sector developer to draw up proposals for a maritime innovation quarter at Centenary Quay, the former Vosper Thornycroft site in Woolston.