Ashcroft Arts Centre in Fareham set to sold following closure

Hampshire County Council has approved the freehold disposal of the site which was operated by the Hampshire Cultural Trust before funding cuts forced its closure despite a petition from the Labour councillor Dominic Martin (Fareham and Waterlooville) which was signed by 300 people asking to save the venue.

The petition indicated that the centre is an important community centre regarding Fareham’s heritage, culture and community service, and the closure “would be a loss for Fareham on all these fronts.”

The petition stated: “The Ashcroft Arts Centre, as many residents have said, has a reputation beyond Fareham. This is not just for the unique small performances they host, but the classes and inspiration the centre gives to Fareham as a way of developing a local pool of talent in Fareham.”

The recent decision follows Hampshire County Council’s agreement in December 2024 for the Hampshire Cultural Trust to withdraw their service from the Eastleigh Museum and Ashcroft Arts Centre, issuing notice to the council.

On October 14, the council cabinet decided to reduce the trust’s funding by £600,000, decreasing it from £2.5 million starting in April 2027. This funding cut is part of efforts to tackle a recurring budget deficit of £182 million for the fiscal year 2025/26 and beyond.

The future of the Eastleigh Museum, which has been closed to the public since April 2022, will also be reviewed for an alternative use for other county council services.

If no additional uses for the county council are identified after the review is completed, the council will move forward with approving the freehold sale of Eastleigh Museum.

Hampshire County Council indicated that the details of the marketing and freehold sale of the Ashcroft Arts Centre will be made available on the council’s website in due course.

Meanwhile, a new cafe has opened its doors at Westbury Manor following the closure of the museum last year as a result of the same round of funding cuts.