Work to restart on Hythe flats with link to creation of Spitfire

The 43-home development in South Street, Hythe, has been named Hubert Lodge in honour of Hubert Scott-Paine, who bought a nearby shipyard and renamed it the British Power Boat Company.

He also founded Supermarine Aviation, the Southampton-based company which went on to build the Spitfire.

After the Second World War Scott-Paine pioneered the use of flying boats in civil aviation and established the first international flying boat service.

In the mid-1930s British Power Boat Company employees included future entertainer Tommy Cooper, who lived at Langley and honed his magic skills while working in Hythe as an apprentice shipwright.

Work on Hubert Lodge was halted following the start of the lockdown but is set to resume next month.

Churchill Retirement Living is building 43 one and two-bedroom apartments, the first of which are due to be completed next spring.

Plans to name the complex after Scott-Paine were announced at the end of last year.

Speaking at the time a Churchill spokesperson said: "For every new development we try to choose a name with a strong connection to the local community.

"We hope Hubert lodge will be a place where local people can enjoy their retirement years to the full, just a short distance from the waterfront."

The Spitfire owes its origins to a factory built on the banks of the River Itchen in Woolston by Noel Pemberton-Billing.

After becoming an MP in 1916 he sold the business to Scott-Paine, his works manager and long-time associate, who changed its name to Supermarine Aviation.

In 1917 the company hired engineer R J Mitchell, who was promoted to chief designer in 1919 and chief engineer the following year. He went on to lead the team that created the Spitfire.

A show complex at Hubert Lodge will open in November.

Churchill’s regional marketing manager, Caroline Haswell, said: "After months of lockdown we know many people will be thinking about the future for themselves and their families."