A SOUTHAMPTON play centre that was shut down because of council spending cuts is set to get a new lease of life under fresh ownership.

Despite protests from local residents the Zoe Braithwaite Play Centre in Fraser Close, Lordshill was closed in March.

Now Southampton City Council has agreed a deal which means Oasis Lords Hill will take over the lease on the building and continue to run a range of services from it.

In the last fewmonths with the support of the council, Oasis and local volunteers, the building has undergone a complete transformation and will be officially re-opened on July 22.

Childcare and holiday activity programmes are being offered this summer and September will see the opening of a new morning pre-school and the resumption of free after-school play activity sessions for young people aged two to 14 years.

Kate Bulpit, director of Hub Development and Community Services at Oasis Lords Hill said: “The economic climate we all find ourselves in today means local authorities are unable to finance the wide range of services they used to.

“Oasis looks for ways to take on the provision of some of these services if they are deemed valuable by local communities.”

It is not easy, and our aim always is to provide high quality services at as little cost to users as possible. We achieve this working with local people and our staff, all of whom put in many volunteer hours to keep some of these services going.”

It is the second facility for young people that has recently been taken on by the Oasis Lords Hill community hub after the “Veni” facility was reopened in Coxford earlier this year.