WORK is underway on a new nursery and community centre in Eastleigh, with 25 jobs set to be created.

This is being built as part of the North Stoneham Park development, to serve residents living in the newly built 1,100 homes.

There will be 95 childcare places at the nursery, while the community facilities will include a café, community hall, youth room, health space and meeting rooms.

Construction is planned to be completed at the end of 2020 and YMCA, will begin running the centre in early 2021.

Judy Hillier, Chair of YMCA said: “The nursery will provide a nurturing environment for our youngest children, developing early skills whilst also enabling parents to go to work. We will also be creating around 25 new jobs for people in the centre.”

This comes as part of a mscheme to build 1,100 homes, a new school, a care home, shops and transport links in Stoneham Park in Eastleigh, which was given the green light in 2015.

The nursery and community centre will form part of the centre for the new community at the development, which will also include shops, offices and age-restricted flats centred around a landscaped ‘public’ square.

Cllr Paul Bicknell, cabinet lead for regeneration at Eastleigh Borough Council, said “North Stoneham is becoming a new thriving local community and many new residents have already moved in. The council is committed to supporting initiatives which will allow this new community to flourish and we look forward to working with the YMCA as this exciting facility will form an important part of the new local centre."