A decision to close a popular residential activity centre that is visited by more than 6,500 children a year has been met with sadness by residents.
Hampshire County Council plans to build a new specialist children's home on the site, on Stubbington Lane.
It says it is trying to help meet the increasing need for residential care to support vulnerable children and young people in the county.
If approved, the outdoor learning activities would need to cease in September.
The decision has been met with backlash by residents who have said that the study centre is a ‘pillar of the community’ and a place for children to learn.
Stubbington resident, Claire, 45, said that she attended the Stubbington Study Centre as a child as did her son.
She added: “I think this decision by the council is just so sad for the community – we are devastated.
“The study centre is such a special place where children can learn about local wildlife while having a lot of fun doing it.”
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Claire continued: “I don’t think a repurpose would work - building on the land will have a devastating impact on the badger, bats, foxes and other wildlife that lives there.
“This seems like quite a short-sighted closure on the council’s behalf.”
HCC is now inviting schools, other organisations and residents to share their feedback on proposals to repurpose the Stubbington Study Centre site.
Speaking on the closure of the study centre, leader of HCC, Cllr Nick Adams-King said: “We recognise that Stubbington Study Centre, while not a legal obligation for the county council to provide, is a much used and popular facility.
“In potentially repurposing the site, we must ensure that schools and other users can continue to access good outdoor learning opportunities, which we know are so beneficial to children’s development and wellbeing.”
MP for Gosport, Dame Caroline Dinenage, has also said she feels that the study centre should remain at its current location.
She added: “Whilst understanding investment is needed in residential care for Hampshire’s young people, this would be at the detriment of a popular study centre, which is visited by over 6,500 students a year.
“Not only does this centre offer such positive opportunities to young people, it is a self-funded service which consistently and over-recovers financially, bolstering the County’s finances with their surplus feeding back into the coffers.”
A consultation closes on February 10.
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