County council proposal to close Titchfield Haven National Nature Reserve met with ‘outrage’ from residents - and ‘shocked’ staff are told it is ‘pretty certain’ they will lose their jobs

Hampshire County Council says that Titchfield Haven National Nature Reserve faces a projected £1.8m funding gap over the next three years.

To tackle the issue, the council has suggested the closure and sale of Haven House visitor centre, including the reserve’s café and shop, which are currently subsidised.

While Hampshire County Council emphasises that the suggestion is merely a proposal at this stage, staff at the centre have already been told it is ‘pretty certain’ that redundancies will happen.

One member of the centre team said that the proposals are ‘very likely to go ahead’ despite a public survey.

Another worker, food and beverage assistant Charlotte Marsh, said that staff at the café are ‘shocked’ and ‘distraught’ by the news.

She said: ‘We have all been given a date of December 31, and it’s going to be closed to the public on December 23.

‘It’s heartbreaking. There’s not too much we can do.

‘It’s a community they are taking away, it’s not just the jobs.’

As well as seasonal staff and casual workers, around seven permanent team members work at the café - and around 20 centre roles in total are at risk.

However, the council stresses that ‘no final decisions have been made’ and that any proposal to reduce staffing levels is being ‘approached in a sensitive manner’.

A spokesperson for Hampshire County Council said: ‘The proposals to secure more investment into Titchfield Haven National Nature Reserve places some roles at risk of redundancy and this aspect is now subject to a formal consultation period with staff and trade unions for a period of 30 days.

‘The employees that may be affected are being supported through this uncertain time, and advised of the options available to them, such as redeployment, should the proposals go ahead, as well as being given the provisional timings of any proposed changes.’

Meanwhile, Councillor Russell Oppenheimer, the county’s executive member for countryside, culture, and communities, says that action is necessary to protect the ‘extremely sensitive environment of Titchfield Haven and its status as a Site of Special Scientific Interest within the coastal Special Protection Area.

He added that the county council has a duty ‘to manage this coastal site to the highest standards so that its habitats and wildlife can continue to thrive’.

However, councillor Seán Woodward, executive leader of Fareham, said that he was advised of the proposal only an hour before it went public - and is ‘very saddened and upset’ about the news.

He said: ‘When I was Hampshire County Council’s executive member for recreation and heritage, this proposal came my way and I said no.

‘We have a number of fantastic country parks in this county. My view is that we need to have a profitable portfolio of parks and we always knew Titchfield Haven would not be profitable because it does not have parking.

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‘But now the view is that each one of the parks has to be profitable.

‘It is a fantastic and important facility for many people and I personally would have liked to seen proposals for how it could be used to a far greater extent.

‘People are more likely to visit if there is a whole visitor experience.

‘It’s a slippery slope to sell assets for running costs - you can only sell the asset once.’

The proposal has also been met with criticism by local people – and a backlash is also brewing on social media.

Titchfield resident Sally Matson called the proposal a ‘deeply unpopular move’ by the county council.

Sally said: ‘I understand staff have already been told they will be losing their jobs in late December; so this seems to imply that the closure is already a ‘done deal’?

‘A slow stroll around the nature reserve followed by a good lunch at the café is a real treat if you want a peaceful and beautiful break from the turbulence of today’s modern world.

‘The council have not made the most of the assets at this stunning site - the café could have been a little gold mine.

‘The cafe could have been used much more for meetings, small parties, weddings. The whole thing could have been managed to help provide investment for the reserve itself.’

Pamela Charlwood, co-chair of Hill Head Residents’ Association, says that local people are ‘outraged’ by the proposal, which has left several councillors ‘dismayed’.

She said: ‘The Visitor Centre offers scope for so much more activity to maximise income and develop its role as a central hub for the nature reserve and local community, but it seems that Hampshire County Council has simply and arbitrarily decided to close the centre and sell it and Haven Cottage.

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‘The proposals take no account of all that the visitor centre contributes to the health and wellbeing of local residents and its many other visitors and we are deeply disappointed that Hampshire County Council gave local people no opportunity to contribute their views and ideas before coming up with this negative, depressing proposal.

‘It is time for Hampshire to think again and work with local people to come up with a much more imaginative solution.’

A short public survey can be found online alongside a summary of the proposals, and is open until November 1.

Staff at the centre are asking that people submit suggestions for long-term sustainable alternatives to the proposal, as well as their criticism.

The feedback collected from the survey will be considered by Cllr Oppenheimer as part of a final decision report on December 8 at his public Decision Day.

Councillor Woodward added: ‘I would absolutely urge people to have their say - it’s very important.’

Find the proposals and survey at hants.gov.uk/titchfield-future.