A SOUTHAMPTON councillor has hit out at plans to bulldoze a youth centre to make way for housing.

Ward member for Bitterne, Councillor Terry Streets, said he was “disappointed” that the decision to flatten the Thornhill centre was made.

The council’s planning committee voted four to three to approve the proposals, which will see 12 two-bed flats and five three-bed homes built on the Thornhill Youth Centre and Boys Club site.

The centre, on Bitterne Road East, after the charity Youth Options, which leased it from the city council, claimed the centre was underused, and needed repairs which it couldn’t afford.

Currently a dance club and OAP group use the centre, with private event rooms also available to hire. But the council says that the income generated by the site is “not sufficient” to run it, with costs around £26,000 per year needed. The OAP group will now disband, it has announced, with the dance club looking for an alternative location.

The centre received no council or National Lottery grants.

The Conservative member said: “The Thornhill youth centre could’ve been a vibrant community hub, had it of been run to its full potential and not left to deteriorate by the lease holder Youth Options.

“It’s a great loss to the residents in our community and I feel for the residents around the site that will now have to endure the parking and traffic issues that this overdeveloped site will bring”

Speaking at the meeting, Cllr Streets, pictured, also said: “I used to attend this club every week when I was a teenager, going along with my friends.

“We should be fighting to save these centres at all costs.”

However, the decision comes just months after residents campaigned to keep the centre open.

At the planning meeting neighbours criticised the plans for the lack of parking provision for the flats – which are allocated one each – and overburdening of the local roads.

But applicant GK Management disagreed, as did planning officers, who noted that there was enough parking on the site – 23 spaces in total.

Another to object was business owner Stuart McNee, who set up the ‘Save Thornhill Youth Centre’ petition earlier this year.

In a written submission, he described the centre as “the last bit of green space in the area.”

He said: “The hall has never been advertised for use on social media, or any other form to generate income, to help maintain this community asset.

“Considering the small running costs, it is very achievable to maintain this as a community centre. If more people were aware that it is available to rent, it would be full on a regular basis.”

In the planning document, case officer Andrew Gregory concluded: “The positive aspects of the scheme are not judged to be outweighed by the negative and as such the scheme is recommended for conditional approval.”