Next steps in the Stubbington Study Centre decision-making process

In the first part of a rigorous decision-making process, members of the Local Authority’s Hampshire 2050 Select Committee met today (Thursday, 6 March) to consider and scrutinise the proposal, as well as the views shared in a recent public consultation. The meeting included ten presentations from members of the public and local County Councillors.

The option to build the new children’s home comes amidst rising demand both locally and nationally for children’s specialist residential care and a shortage of suitable placements, with only 13 such children’s homes in England. These include Swanwick Lodge, the County Council’s existing but ageing specialist home which currently provides a safe and secure, therapeutic environment for up to 10 of the most vulnerable children from Hampshire and across the country. 

At almost 30 years old, the building at Swanwick Lodge would require significant capital investment to bring it up to the highest modern standards which meet the increasingly complex needs of the children typically placed there. Without this investment, the home may not be able to operate effectively in future, requiring children to move much further away from their homes and families to access suitable support, and at significantly greater cost.

The Government has indicated that it would provide capital funding to replace Swanwick Lodge with a modern and high-quality home. This funding is subject to the County Council's confirmation by the end of March 2025 that a suitable site is available and cannot be used for the purchase of any new land.

The County Council undertook a thorough and robust review of potential sites owned by the Local Authority, including the existing Swanwick Lodge site. Having followed the Government’s requirements and relevant criteria, the Local Authority identified the Stubbington Study Centre site as the only viable site of all its currently available options to deliver the new home, subject to confirmation of funding and planning consent.

At today’s Select Committee, members acknowledged the clear need for the new specialist children’s home, the hard work undertaken by council officers in exploring potential sites to accommodate it, and the challenges in finding a suitable solution within the Government’s timeframes. As a result of their discussion and having carefully considered the outcomes of the public consultation, they will now make recommendations to Cabinet including that council officers request extra time from Government beyond the March 2025 deadline, to see whether any new potential sites emerge for their consideration. They will also recommend that officers approach district and borough councils to explore any availability of land to facilitate a new home.

Cabinet members will meet on Tuesday, 18 March when they too will consider the proposal, the Select Committee’s recommendations and the consultation feedback, before making a final decision on whether or not to close the Study Centre to make way for the new children’s home.  

If officer proposals are approved by Cabinet, activities currently provided at the Study Centre would cease from 31 August 2025.

Full details of the proposal are available on the County Council’s website.