A Winchester transport charity has secured a vital new base for its unique collection of 14 local buses.

The Friends of King Alfred Buses have moved into a new workshop that will allow them to carry on preserving and restoring their fleet of old buses.

The future had been uncertain after FoKAB moved from its base of nine years at the bus station at Friarsgate which is set to be redeveloped in the Silver Hill Renaissance.

The New Chesil Workshop, in the Bar End area, will now take over as the maintenance base for the volunteer enthusiasts.

Peter Murnaghan, chairman of the FoKAB, said that finding the new building was a great relief.

He said: “We were facing the real possibility that the charity’s successful New Year’s Running Day might have been jeopardised, if we had not been able to secure a suitable building in which to maintain our fleet of buses to a high standard.

“Without these facilities, we would have been unable to tackle the major engineering work involved in rebuilding elderly buses and maintaining them all for active service.”

Mr Murnaghan added: “We have been really grateful to Stagecoach for their support and help over the last nine years, while we have occupied the old bus garage. It has allowed us to achieve a great deal of progress in restoring our historic fleet and this work can now continue at the New Chesil Workshop.”

The reference to Chesil harks back to the premises occupied by King Alfred Motor Services when the company was operated by the Chisnell family between 1920 and 1973. Its three bases were all in Chesil Street. The main Hillside bus garage stood on the site of the present Avalon House, while smaller garages nearby occupied sites opposite the Old Chesil Rectory and further along at the present Kwik Fit business.

In addition, buses were parked in the yard of the old Winchester Chesil railway station. Whilst the new premises are further out, the group was keen to maintain links with the heritage of this much-missed local independent bus operator.

The annual Winchester Bus Running Day at New Year attracts over 20,000 passenger trips and is supported by over 70 active volunteers from within FoKAB’s membership, plus the bus crews of around thirty visiting heritage buses and coaches.

In addition, FoKAB provides transport for community and charity events. Such journeys are all provided by volunteers at no charge to the users.

However, because FoKAB is not a commercial operator, it is unable to hire out its buses to members of the public.