CIVIC chiefs have hit back at claims that the closure of a youth facility will leave groups homeless.

Hampshire County Council says all but one of the organisations based at the Phoenix Children’s Centre in New Milton have found alternative venues.

Opened by Sir Richard Branson in 1987, the centre is due to be taken over by the Education Funding Agency (EFA) in March.

The EFA will lease the building to Eaglewood, a free school for vulnerable children run by The Arnewood School.

Eaglewood has been running as a small pilot scheme since 2013 and in March last year principal designate Mike Horswell gained planning permission for a temporary classroom next to the centre.

Eaglewood aims to cater for about 70 children in the New Forest area who find it difficult to access mainstream education.

But members of New Milton Town Council have criticised the county council over the impending loss of the town’s main youth facility.

Councillor Geoffrey Blunden, chairman of the amenities committee, said: “There is going to be no provision left.”

The town mayor, councillor David Hawkins, added: “We need to get off our backsides and make sure something is done about this.”

But a county council spokesman said all but one of the groups based at the Phoenix Centre had found alternative accommodation.

He added that the council was planning to provide its own service to support vulnerable families in the face of “profound cuts”

in government grants.

“Our service will support those who are in need of help but do not meet the threshold for statutory social care,” he said.