Titchfield Haven visitor centre: Building goes up for sale

A nature reserve visitor centre building has been put up for sale on the open market despite proposals to take it over from a community group.

Hampshire County Council is selling Haven House at Titchfield Haven National Nature Reserve, near Fareham, to raise funds for the reserve.

Last month Titchfield Haven Community Hub (THCH) submitted a plan to take over the centre and now-closed cafe.

The council rejected its previous proposal as "not fully costed".

The visitor centre facilities were scaled down and the cafe closed in December, with the council saying at the time the move would "tackle a projected £1.8m funding gap" for the upkeep of the National Nature Reserve over the next three years.

The Haven House building was listed on the open market earlier this week.

Russell Oppenheimer, cabinet member for countryside said the decision was made by the local authority against the wider background of "one of the biggest budget shortfalls in its history".

"I appreciate the extremely strong local interest in the future of Haven House, and whilst the county council is not in a position to give away an asset of this value for free, we will take community interests into account when we evaluate offers in due course,"he said.

Earlier this year, a council report said THCH's initial plans - and a proposal from Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust to take over the reserve itself - were not "viable or fully costed".

In September THCH submitted a revised plan, including a "cash component", which it said would save the council having to spend up to £600,000 on new visitor facilities, boost visitor numbers and contribute to the reserve's running costs.

Following discussions with the council, the group said its bid would "remain on the table" even with the property on the market.

"For reasons which we frankly do not understand, councillor Oppenheimer and the officers remain of the view that it would be far better for them to continue with their plan of putting visitor reception and staff facilities in a new building in the backyard," it said.

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