Still time to have your say in Stubbington Study Centre consultation

Schools, community organisations and local residents are being reminded to share their views on a proposal to repurpose the Stubbington Study Centre site, to provide a new specialist secure welfare children’s home. A consultation is currently running on Hampshire County Council’s website and is open until Monday, 10 February

Jan 30 2025

If agreed, the new home would replace and expand on the County Council’s existing specialist home at Swanwick Lodge which, at almost 30 years old, is now in need of significant investment to bring it up to the most modern standards. The Government has indicated that it would provide full funding to replace Swanwick Lodge with a larger, modern and high-quality home, subject to the County Council's confirmation that a suitable site is available. The Government would not fund the purchase of any new land as part of this agreement. Having undertaken a review of potential County Council owned sites, including the existing Swanwick Lodge site, the local authority has identified the Stubbington Study Centre site as the most appropriate to deliver the new home, subject to planning consent.  

To make way for a new specialist children’s home in Stubbington, the outdoor learning activities currently provided at the Study Centre would need to cease from 1 September 2025. All bookings for the current academic year (2024/25) are unaffected, with bookings not yet open for September 2025 onwards.  

Councillor Nick Adams-King, Leader of Hampshire County Council, said: “We have already received a significant number of responses to our consultation, and I want to thank everyone who has so far taken the time to submit their highly valued feedback. All of your comments and concerns will be thoroughly considered alongside the many important factors concerning specialist residential care for very vulnerable children.  

“I must stress that the proposal remains subject to the ongoing consultation and a rigorous decision-making process thereafter. We have a process through which we must go to reach our eventual decision for which there is no short-cut. In light of some of the comments and concerns raised we have added a further Q&A section to the consultation website to answer those questions. I understand there is a great strength of feeling regarding the proposals, and I continue to urge people to share their views through the consultation before it closes on 10 February.” 

Information about the consultation is available on the County Council’s website. This includes an information pack, detailed Questions and Answers and information about specialist secure welfare children's homes. Versions of the consultation documents are available in other languages and formats and can be requested by emailing [email protected] or calling 0300 555 1375. 

Following the consultation, the proposal to repurpose the Stubbington Study Centre site is to be pre-scrutinised by the Hampshire 2050 and Corporate Services Select Committee on Thursday, 6 March (rescheduled from 5 March). The proposal will then be submitted to Cabinet on Tuesday, 18 March. 

Should the proposal be approved by Cabinet, a Business Case would then be submitted as required to Government, for the provision of a specialist children’s home on the Stubbington Study Centre site. Subject to Government’s agreement, a planning application would follow in summer 2026 providing a further opportunity for the public and others to comment.