Titchfield Haven building has been sold and will be turned into a nursey

Haven House, which was built around 1820 and had most recently been a visitor centre and cafe for Tichfield Haven national nature reserve, has been sold to a buyer who will lease it to Hopscotch Nursery Group.

The confirmation was not well received by Titchfield Haven Community Hub Limited (THCH) which had tabled plans to turn the building into a community hub, cafe and holiday flat. The group’s chair Pamela Charlwood said she was sad about the sale.

She told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “We have known for some time that this was heading, and there we are. We just have to take a deep breath. We tried our hardest.”

“We hadn’t had any information from them directly. I’m about to send out a message to our hundreds of lovely supporters, thanking them for all their support and interest and encouragement, and to say ‘we couldn’t have done it more, but we Hampshire have got their money.”

Last year, Hampshire County Council decided to go ahead with the sale of Haven House to generate vital funds for the nature reserve near Fareham.

However, proposals from THCH and one from Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust to take over the reserve itself were labelled as not viable or fully costed.

Therefore, the nature reserve visitor centre building was listed for sale on the open market.

At the end of the year, the county council, in a private meeting, accepted an offer for Haven House.

Mrs Charlwood added: “They [Hampshire County Council] clearly wanted as much capital as they could get for the sale. But we felt that we could get that money that they were saying they had to spend for the replacement of the Haven visitor reception, and there was such a clear community benefit. Fareham Borough Council has supported us so strongly, designated as an asset of community value, and still is.

“But there we are. I do not understand why Hampshire was so negative about our proposals.”

She said the group won’t encourage people to object to it and wish the plan worked “well”.

However, she said, the community will be “watchful” and ensure “things are safe,” especially around the building’s access.

She added: “I don’t think it would be anything other than that. I don’t think anyone will object in an active way, that wouldn’t be proper.”

The county council confirmed on July 10 that the property has been sold to a private local buyer who intends to lease the property to a day nursery, part of Hopscotch Nursery Group, which will operate with a focus on the outdoor environment.

Councillor Kirsty North, the county council’s cabinet lead for universal services, said: “The proposed use of the building by a local nursery provider is positive news, offering childcare spaces in an area that has been identified as needing additional early years capacity, supporting local families, and creating jobs.”