CITY councillors were today set to agree the finer details of a lease that will give a Southampton charity its long-awaited new home.

After years of fundraising, the Rose Road Association has collected more than £3m towards the total £4.75m needed for a new purpose-built centre for severely disabled children.

The site in Aldermoor, a former rubbish tip that is now safe to build on, is owned by the city council and until now it has been open space for the local community.

At today's corporate committee meeting, councillors were expected to agree to a 125-year lease being granted to the Rose Road Association.

The six-acre site will be offered for a nominal rent of just £1 per year to the city-based charity.

But, in return, the council is investigating with the Charity Commission whether the association's existing premises in the city's Rose Road can be surrendered to the local authority.

The building could then be used for providing council services or sold off to raise cash for the council's budgets.

To accommodate the new Rose Road Centre on the Aldermoor site, a scout hall must be repositioned.

Talks have been on-going with the First Southampton West (Aldermoor) Scout Group and agreement has been reached whereby the Rose Road Association will buy a secondhand building to give them a new home.

The new improved Rose Road Centre will offer respite care to a wider range of children and young adults with special needs.