A CHILDREN’S centre in Southampton will undergo a major refurbishment, while three other facilities will close.

City council chiefs have rubber-stamped plans for a £247,000 overhaul at the former Fairfield Lodge, in Coxford Road, which is currently empty.

The new centre will merge services currently provided at centres in Peartree Avenue, Sutherland Road and Derby Road.

Those centres will all close and the staff will move to the new centre in Coxford Road, which will house the council’s behaviour resource service, specialist assessment team and supervised contact scheme.

The old buildings will be sold off to raise money for the cash-strapped council, which recently announced proposals to make £13.5m of cuts.

It is estimated that leaving the three buildings will save the council up to £48,000 a year in running costs.

Fairfield Lodge has been empty since December, and was formerly a children’s residential unit and a centre for the Behaviour and Adolescent Resource Services team.

New pipework and windows will be fitted as part of the refurbishment work, while the building’s electrical supply will also be upgraded.

A commercial laundry and kitchen and bathrooms will be removed.