YOUNG people throughout the town are set to benefit from a new youth centre, which could open in the spring.

The scheme – dubbed Club 94 – has been spearheaded by Whitehill town councillor Katie Anscomb and district councillor Philip Davies, with the pair working alongside the Whitehill & Bordon Community Trust.

The centre is set to be housed in a former MoD building, acting as a location to “bring a number of partners together to help young people and youth”.

The MoD building – now named Building 94 – is opposite Oakmoor School and is currently accessible via a 24-hour security barrier, with plans in place for access to the car park in Budds Lane.

A spokesperson for the trust said: “We are looking forward to working with other local groups, organisations and businesses to bring a range of activities and opportunities for our young people.”

The introduction of a youth centre comes amid months of lockdown, which has seen restrictions placed on socialisation between all ages, but with the town facing some issues with anti-social behaviour.

Cllr Davies said: “It is hoped this will help provide some real opportunities to encourage youth and young people to spend time here, to give them a place to be, give them space and opportunity.”

Sian Manning, community projects and events coordinator at the trust, added: “The facility will not solve the problem, but it has the aim of providing somewhere for our younger generation to call their own.”

On the use of the building, Cllr Anscomb confirmed the facility would be open to use by groups across the area.

She said: “The intention is for the space to have a small number of trusted users like Scouts with regular recurring bookings, with a booking system for other youth users.

“This is important to maintain standards of the property and also promote safeguarding and ensure adequacy of booking and tracking governance.”

Paul Hemmings, the headteacher of the nearby Oakmoor School, said: “This is excellent news for the young people of our town who have missed out on so much social interaction over the past 12 months.

“The building itself is incredibly spacious and will allow a rich variety of activities to take place while providing a much-needed meeting space for local groups and clubs.”