A BOLD move to save and vastly improve a vital community centre in Fareham- that is earmarked for developer's bulldozers - has been branded crass stupidity.

Fareham Community Centre and Kings Road Assembly Hall are set to be demolished to make way for residential development to meet the council's housing quota.

Council opposition leader Roger Price has tabled an alternative proposal that will satisfy the development quota and generate a unique community resource base in the centre of town.

His plan is to build a new centre at the present location and expand it by relocating the Citizens Advice Bureau and Fareham Community Action.

A new ecology unit, which could be run by Friends of the Earth, would give free advice on green issues such as renewable energy heating.

Homes could be built on the land vacated by Fareham Community Action in Osborn Road South to meet the council's housing quota.

Council leader Shaun Woodward said: "It is crass stupidity, to put it mildly. What will happen to all of the user groups while its being built?

"We have a six-month project to find them alternative temporary homes. But there would be no point building this because when it's ready there will be no groups left to use it.

"I would also like to know where he's going to find the money. It will cost about £2m and I would be interested to know where he is getting this new money from, because if it's there I would like to use it."

Mr Woodward said money will go to improve Ferneham Hall for community groups who won't lose out and that there is a desperate shortage of affordable housing in the town centre.

Mr Price said: "It's better than the current proposal because the current proposal doesn't allow a new community centre to be built."