HENGISTBURY Head Outdoor Centre is one step closer to being revived after backing from BCP Council.
The £4m plans to rejuvenate the education centre at the Bournemouth beauty spot have been given the thumbs up by cabinet member for finance Mike Cox, subject to due diligence.
As reported, the centre has endured funding problems since 2021 when its former operator Brockenhurst College pulled out.
The same year, BCP Council took direct ownership of the centre, however, the main building was deemed “unsafe” for use. It has not been open since March 2020 when the Covid pandemic hit.
Cabinet member for finance Mike Cox said his administration is “determined” to make BCP an “enabling” council.
He said: “As a key plank of this strategy we will be ensuring that assets held by the council are transferred into the ownership of suitable organisations which will provide a benefit for the community going forward whilst retaining some control to ensure public ownership is retained.
“The formation of the Hengistbury Head Outdoors Ltd (HHO) as a charitable community benefit society fits perfectly with the ambitions and aspirations of BCP Council.
“As a cabinet we are 100 per cent behind the transfer of the centre to HHO subject to the due diligence required.”
Officially recognised as a charity earlier this year, HHO unveiled plans to bring the centre back to its glory days.
This includes the offer to residents to buy lifetime member shares for £10 which would allow them to be involved within the society.
During its heyday in 2019, there was 10,000 school children and 5,000 adults using the centre, according to one of HHO’s 10 directors, Simon Pitman.
In its last operational year, the education centre was used by 75 schools and handled more than 10,000 school sessions and 5,000 public sessions for adults and young people.
The centre first opened in 1964 as the Marine Training Centre before the name change in the 1980s.
Brockenhurst College had said it could not afford to run the centre college as it was “unable to absorb ongoing financial losses”.
When it was open, the centre was used mostly for water sports.
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