A PETITION to save a Southampton youth centre has gathered hundreds of signatures. 

Campaigners are calling for owners of Thornhill Youth Centre to rethink the future of the “important and valuable resource” .

But the charity that owns the building on Bitterne Road East has already exchanged contracts and say they are owed thousands in rent from a company that used the building.

Business owner Stuart McNee set up the ‘Save Thornhill Youth Centre’ petition. He is no stranger to community campaigns, having organised a successful campaign to stop McDonalds taking over The Bittern pub two years ago.

He  described the centre as “the last bit of green space in the area.”

“There’s nowhere else for everybody to go. It seems they have just left the building to rot,” he said.

Dance teacher Karla Webber runs up to 20 hours of classes a month at the centre and said it could mean the end of her business. 

“I have 65 children young people a week and I’ve taught hundreds over the years. It will have a massive effect on my business.”

She said the hall’s current owners had no made enough effort to advertise it.

“It’s such a shame. Kids are crying out for activities. I could put anything on there and they would flock to it. It’s a beautiful hall. But if it closes there’s no way I could still run.

But children and young people’s charity Youth Options, the lease-holders on the building,  say it is underused and is in need of urgent repairs which it cannot afford. 

Now they have exchanged contracts with developers Foreman Homes. 

CEO Mark Dixon said: “It’s not just about advertising or getting more groups in. We can’t keep flogging a dead horse. The building needs about £500,000 spending on it. There are only two groups using it and we are more than willing to help them find somewhere else. Financially we have had to prop it up for years.”

Youth Options said it is still owed £14,000 by one of the centre’s users,  Clear Water Support Services Ltd Southampton, who Mr Dixon says used the building for around 18 months before reportedly going into administration.

Mr Dixon  said he he had not heard from the petition organisers.

“If they all made a donation or came to use the space then maybe we could keep it open,” he said.

Ward councillor and city council leader Simon Letts said he has been “assured” that any money made from the sale of the lease will go towards funding youth facilities in the area. 

Foreman Homes and Clear Water were contacted for a comment but have yet to reply.