A FLAGSHIP youth club which could be the envy of Hampshire may be about to emerge in Winchester.

Some 300 Winchester youngsters lost their meeting centre earlier this month when King Alfred Youth Activity Centre (KAYAC) closed after 65 years.

Now it has emerged that KAYAC is in talks with King Alfred's College about building a new base on its playing fields at Bar End on the southern edge of the city.

Talks between KAYAC and the college are at an early stage but a new club could open in 2002.

The old city centre site in Middle Brook Street has been sold to developer Fastnet Homes. Demolition work started this week.

The club gained about £1 million from the sale of its old site. Although not all of this would be available for a new scheme, a sizeable portion could be spent on it.

Efforts to build a £500,000 base in Abbotts Barton last year were blocked by city council planners.

Mike Shearman, director of Hampshire Youth Options, the umbrella organisation for the club, said KAYAC would persevere in its search for a new site: "We are always hopeful. We are determined to find an alternative accommodation for the club in Winchester.

"If all goes well with King Alfred's we could be talking about a year before it is completed. It will be a really exciting development. It could be the biggest youth building in the city and one of the biggest, if not the biggest, in the county."

In the short-term the club could temporarily use the facilities at Henry Beaufort School in Harestock two nights a week.

Discussions are taking place with the school today. KAYAC would maintain its minibus service to ferry youngsters from other parts of the city to the school.

The club has been criticised for leaving its Middle Brook Street base.

But the club says it had little choice as the building needed expensive renovation.