DETERMINED Colden Common youth leaders say a new centre for youngsters in the village will be built.

Village leaders have four potential sites for the proposed 'robust' new building, which would give the Scouts a new home and a place for boisterous youngsters to bounce off the walls.

At a village meeting at the community centre in St Vigor Way, Scout leader Derek Conway outlined the vision.

"The youth centre is not a box of fun to be opened on Christmas Day and discarded on Boxing Day," he told the 30 assembled villagers. "It is where youngsters can create their own fun in 1,000 ways for 100 years. It's quite big."

Youth leaders have four sites in mind - the pavilion on the sports fields, the primary school site, and two privately owned sites in undisclosed locations.

Mr Conway said the community centre was too smart a building to fit the bill and the Scouts and youngsters need somewhere to kick a ball around and play boisterous games.

Winchester city chiefs will meet Mr Conway and representatives of Colden Common Parish Council and youth groups, together with county education bosses, for a 'round table' meeting behind closed doors to discuss the future of the plans tomorrow.

A committee is to be set up to push the plans forward and secure funding. The first meeting will be on December 7.

"This will happen, we will get what we want, so get involved," Mr Conway encouraged residents.

Winchester city councillor Ian Bidgwood, who represents Colden Common, added: "We do mean business. This village has won awards for care of the elderly for two years running, now it's time to look after the youngsters."

The new youth centre could include a drop-in centre for less organised youth events, as well as the Scouts, youth club, mother and toddler groups, pre- and after-school groups and other organisations for youngsters.

The need for a youth centre cropped up after the old parish hall, built in 1911 and historically the home of the village's Scouts, was sold to developers last year.