'One chance' to save Stubbington Study Centre from closure as protest march is planned

The march is set to take place on Saturday, February 8 meeting at 10am at the Lee On Solent Memorial, and heading towards the study centre itself which provides recreational outdoor learning experiences, including residential opportunities, for schoolchildren from across the area.

It comes after Hampshire County Council unveiled plans to close the centre and reuse the site instead for a new 18-bed children’s home to replace its aging facility in Swanwick.

The council launched a consultation to garner views, but has outlined that despite the centre’s popularity with local schools there is no requirement for the council to provide the recreational facility. Instead it points to other organisations which provide recreational experiences elsewhere in the county as viable alternatives.

But there has been huge opposition so far to the plans, with more than 15,500 signing a petition to save the site and concerns raised by local MP Caroline Dinenage and Fareham Borough Council who have asked the county council which other sites it has considered

Campaigner Joseph Adamson said: “They have the whole of Hampshire to choose from to find a more appropriate place for what they need. (The children’s home) definitely needs a new site but not at somewhere which provides such valuable residential experiences for 6,000 children which would be stopped for the sake of 18.

“They have access to 60million of funding from the government for this project. We are sure there is a brownfield site or an old manor house or somewhere which would be far better than choose somewhere which will take away key opportunities from 6,000 young people.”

Mr Adamson, 21, who himself has used the study centre told The News that the county council’s recent closure of the visitor centre and cafe at nearby Titchfield Haven has galvanised many of the study centre’s supporters not wanting history to repeat itself.

He said: “We have only got one chance to try to stop this. So many people were against the closures at Titchfield Haven and signed the petition but then that was it. We need to do much more.”

He urged as many people as possible to make their voices heard and join the march.

“We cannot just sign a petition and hope that will stop it,” he said. “We need to make our voices heard and make sure they are listening.”

Meanwhile Hampshire County Council has confirmed to The News that the proposed children’s home would not provided places for young people leaving youth offending institutes - misinformation which as been circulating around the community.

It said: “To confirm, the County Council’s existing home at Swanwick Lodge does not provide criminal justice placements for children or young people in custody, and neither would the new proposed home.”

To find out more about the Save Stubbington Study Centre campaign visit www.stubbybiscuit.co.uk where you can sign the petition and also complete the county council's official online consultation form with the deadline being February 10.

Hampshire County Council will then discuss the proposals at a committee meeting on March 5 and then again on March 18.