Stubbington Study Centre to remain open after vulnerable children’s home plans rejected by Hampshire County Council

A beloved study centre will remain open following a rejected proposal to replace it with a specialist home for vulnerable children.

Members of Hampshire County Council’s cabinet unanimously rejected the recommended closure of Stubbington Study Centre in Fareham – a location for residential trips for many of North Hampshire’s schoolchildren – at a meeting on Tuesday, March 18.

When the proposed closure was first announced, a petition to save Stubbington was launched and it gained nearly 5,000 signatures in just two days.

It ended up gaining nearly 20,000, with supporters hailing for all parts of Hampshire.

Speaking on Tuesday, Hampshire County Council leader Nick Adams-King said: “Stubbington Study Centre is clearly a well-loved and highly popular facility, and I know many people have felt very strongly about this proposal.

“This is exactly why it was so important to consult on it, and I hope today’s meeting sends a clear message that we have heard what people have to say and listened carefully to every single view shared with us through this consultation.

“This is democracy in action, and I am grateful to everyone who has taken the time to be a part of it.”

Although Stubbington remains open, the council’s problem of finding a suitable site to provide a larger and modernised specialist home for vulnerable children remains.

The council has said that a new home is required as its only existing one is nearly 30 years old, has out-of-date facilities and can only accommodate 10 vulnerable children.

The Stubbington Study Centre site was identified by council officers in January as the only viable site of all the available options currently open to the local authority.

The Government has said it would provide capital funding to replace the existing home, but the county council must find a suitable location which it currently owns by the end of March.

Following the rejection of the Stubbington proposal, the council has asked the Government for extra time to see if any new potential sites emerge for consideration.

Hampshire County Council will also ask its officers to approach local district and borough councils to explore any availability of land to potentially accommodate the new home.