28 July 2014

Fareham pays tribute to the lost sons of World War 1

On Monday 4 August, from 10am – 2pm, Fareham Borough Council is inviting residents to take part in a variety of free events in the town centre to commemorate the Centenary of the outbreak of World War One.

There will be a range of activities and events throughout the day at various locations in the town centre.

West Street:

• Mayor of Fareham, Councillor David Norris will unveil a new commemoration stone to a fanfare of doves, and ‘The Last Post’ played on the bugle
• Children from Good Manors Nursery singing a song from the era
• Live music from the FB Pocket Orchestra.

Westbury Manor Museum:

• Genuine WW1 Jerry truck
• Edwardian dress up box
• Enlisting office and other activities that take families back to life in Fareham 100 years ago.
• At 11am and 2pm ‘No Man’s Land’ will be performed, a play telling the story of women’s experience during the war. Advance booking with the museum is recommended for the play.

Holy Trinity Church

• ‘War time Tea & Cakes’ will be served from 10am-2pm
• Display of photos by local photographer, Innes Marlow, ‘The lost sons of Fareham’. The work displays the headstones of soldiers whose names are listed on the war memorial, erected in 1921 outside the church, and whose war graves remain in French or Belgian cemeteries. His work gives us a chance to pay our respects at the gravestones of these brave individuals. The work will also be available to view throughout the week from 11am-3pm.

The Civic offices will then be plunged into darkness as all but one light is switched off from 10pm-11pm. Businesses and households across the country will be doing the same and leaving on one solitary light or candle for one hour of shared remembrance.

Join in this shared moment of reflection as part of the Lights Out campaign by turning off your lights between 10pm – 11pm and leave on a single light or candle. You can find out more about the campaign on the Lights Out website .

Leader of Fareham Borough Council, Conservative Cllr Woodward has said ‘We owe a huge debt to those who served in the First World War which is why events such as these are so important. I do hope members of the public will help us in remembering those service men and women who lost their lives by visiting the new memorial, the exhibitions at Holy Trinity and Westbury Manor, and joining in the Lights Out hour in their homes.”

ENDS

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7 July 2014

£35 million for Fareham communities

Following today’s announcement of £124.8m Government funding to the Solent Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), Fareham Borough Council is delighted that £35m of that will be used to benefit Fareham communities.
In 2015/16, £6m will be released to fund:

• Preliminary works associated with the Stubbington by-pass
• A local road network improvements package throughout Fareham to improve access to Fareham and Gosport
• Initial site preparation work at Welborne

From 2016, a further £14.9m will be provided for junction 10 of the M27 improvements, needed to enable the development of Welborne subject to the plans being found sound at a public inquiry to be held in the Autumn.
The residents of Whiteley will also benefit from funding granted with £14m pledged for transport improvements to include the provision of the completion of Whiteley Way.
Conservative Councillor Seán Woodward, Executive Leader of Fareham Borough Council and a director of the Solent Local Enterprise Partnership, said “We are really pleased with the amount of funding that has been provided to benefit Fareham and indeed the Solent area as a whole.  The Government has also indicated that it is prepared to commit further funding for Welborne and Stubbington by-pass and we will be talking to Government officials immediately to progress this.

As well as providing access for a new community at Welborne this funding will greatly enhance the development of the Solent Enterprise Zone at Daedalus.”
Overall, in the long term this funding will help to enable around 6,000 homes and up to 10,000 jobs in the Borough of Fareham.

ENDS

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1 July 2014

Family disgraced in Benefit fraud case

Fareham Borough Council have successfully taken action against a family who fraudulently claimed Housing Benefit.

Maisie Keophaithool and her two sons Pat Keogh and Charlie Keo pleaded guilty to charges of attempted and actual fraud in court last week.

The benefits team at Fareham Borough Council have been investigating the family since January 2013 after Mrs Keophaithool submitted a suspicious application. It transpired that son Pat Keogh, is his Mother’s landlord to whom she paid no rent. Neither mother nor son declared the relationship when making the claim,

Fareham Borough Councils investigation discovered this was not the first time the family used the strategy to claim benefits. In 2009 and 2010 younger son Charlie Keo was awarded Housing Benefit based on falsified documents. The investigation revealed no rental payments had ever been made to his landlord brother.

All three family members pleaded guilty to all charges. Maisie Keophaithool was charged with 2 counts of making a false representation, breaching the Fraud Act,   and 4 counts of providing false documents. Charlie Keo was charged with 1 count of false representation, breaching the Fraud Act, and 2 counts of providing false documents. Pat Keogh was charged with 6 counts of making an article with intent for it to be used to commit or assist in the commission of fraud.

The court ordered Charlie Keo to return £3,700, and each have to pay £280 costs and a £15 victim surcharge.

Leader of Fareham Borough Council, Conservative Councillor Seán Woodward has said “The Council’s benefits investigation team have made a real impact investigating attempts like this, recovering thousands of pounds of taxpayers’ money. Members of the public often make a difference in helping us detect fraud and we are grateful to anyone who contacts us with information. If you have any suspicions about benefit cheats please get in touch with the council using our fraud hotline 01329 824667, I can guarantee all information is treated in the strictest confidence.”

ENDS