By Chief Chief Correspondent Correspondent Rob Rob Thomas Thomas By editorial@gosportglobe.uk editorial@gosportglobe.uk
PEOPLE’S ability to buy a home in Gosport or Fareham has deteriorated sharply over the last 20 years, with average house prices rising nearly 300 per cent but wages up just 70 per cent. The estimates come from the Office for National Statistics and relate to the area covered by the two local authorities. In 1998, the average house price in Gosport was £52,500 which was 3.28 times the borough’s average annual gross workplace wage of £16,003. By 2018, the ratio had more than doubled to 7.44, with the average house price being £203,000 and average annual gross wages of £27,300. Similarly, in Fareham the ratio has gone up from 4.49 in 1998 to 9.12 in 2018, though even this is below the 2018 ratio for the South East of England – excluding London – which stood at 9.79. The ONS uses the ratio of average
POLICE are investigating a report of an attempted sexual assault in Bittern Close, Gosport, between 12.30am and 1am on Friday, April 5. An 18-year-old was walking alone when a man punched her in the face. The victim fell to the ground and the attacker continued to punch and tried to undo her jeans. The teenager was trying to push him away when he gave up and ran off. The man was described as 5’ 7” tall, of slim build
house price to average wage as a measure of housing affordability but it needs to be interpreted carefully because it is based on averages and the ‘wage’ is that paid in workplaces in the area, not the average wage or salary of those living in the area. It cannot be taken as a measure of the average size of mortgage required to buy a property — that would need to take into account the amount of deposit required and whether or not the buyer has a property to sell. However, the changes over the 20 years show affordability has worsened and imply how much more difficult it is now for young people to be able to buy their first home. As Will Ashley, financial adviser at Beals Estate Agents in Gosport, said: “The majority of people can’t rely on one person’s wage any more. “Nowadays, you can’t get on the property ladder unless there are two of you.”
and with glasses He was wearing a dark-coloured hoody and jeans A police spokesman said: “This type of opportunistic attack is quite rare, however understandably it would have left the victim very shaken. Did you witness the incident? “Were you driving in the area at the time and have dashcam footage of a man matching the description of the suspect?” The number to ring is 101, quoting reference 44190118921.
DUMPED: The safe in Alver Creek after the raid. Photograph by Paul Jacobs, pictureexclusive.com
CASH and a safe were stolen from Miracles Spa, Alverstoke, in the early hours of Thursday morning. Few details were available at the time of publication. Miracles — a ladiesonly beauty and fitness facility in the former church at 51 Anglesey Road — confirmed that the premises had been broken into but would not comment further. Hampshire Constabulary was investigating
and said the burglary occurred between 12 midnight and 7am on April 4. The safe was later found abandoned several hundred yards away in the Alver Creek harbour inlet, which is also .known as Stoke Lake.
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