A community radio station presenter has told of his fury at being ousted from the building they have recorded from for 16 years. 

Skyline Gold had operated from the Old School House in St John's Road in Hedge End since 2007 for free, due to an agreement with the previous owner and Hedge End Town Council.

But in May, the town council told the group that they would need to pay them £3,600 a year to stay there - which forced them to find premises elsewhere, as they are a non-profit organisation.

READ MORE: Skyline Gold radio goes digital after 15 years of Hampshire service

Kevin Short, 61, has been with the station for seven years and until recently was its owner.

He said: “We have been treated very adversely by the council and it does not feel right.

“They have told us that we are essentially squatters in the building we have worked in since 2007."

According to Kevin, in May this year the town council told Skyline that the agreement which was in place had run out in 2010.

Kevin said: “We have even offered to share the books with them so we can come up with a lease figure that we can manage – they were not interested in working with us on a compromise.

“We have an obligation to meet our Ofcom licence criteria and as a part of that we are not allowed to make a profit. The council seems to take little notice of this.”

Skyline Gold is funded by advertising revenue and contribution fees from the 13 volunteers that run the radio station.

Thankfully, Kevin said that the future of the radio station is secure thanks to support from local business and loyal listeners.

He said: “We advertise all local businesses for free and were the only station that kept broadcasting through the pandemic.

“We provide a vital service to the community, and it is a shame that the council does not seem to recognise that.

“The Flash – a community station in Waterlooville has just given up its FM licence after it could no longer afford to pay. That means we are one of the only community stations left in Hampshire."

There is a silver lining, as the station has found a new home in Botley village square.

A spokesperson from Hedge End Town council said they had been negotiating with Skyline since May and that since their 'most recent representations for changes to the lease', the council was 'willing work to find a solution for their continued occupation of the building'.

But in response, Kevin said: "I would like to know what solutions the council would like to work with us to achieve - we have been evicted and it was not willing to work with us to find a compromise.

"It feels to me that the council don't give a damn about community radio or what we do for local people."