The future of the former Horndean Library could have been decided by the county council in a private meeting, with two businesses wanting to take the site over.

In an exempt decision which the public was excluded from, Hampshire County Council (HCC) could have decided about the future of the former Horndean Library in Waterlooville. It has been closed since 2021 after HCC decided in 2020 to close eight libraries across the county to save £1.76m.

With the closure, the council put the building on sale, with a deadline for offers on October 7. Two representations showed interest in the building at a county council meeting on November 19.

The King’s Arms Youth Project, a charity that helps, supports, and meets the needs of the young people of Petersfield and Alton and their surrounding villages, explained the benefits to the community if they get the site.

Richard Emmons, the trustee of the King’s Arms, said that committing the building for the support of young people “is the best value that can be obtained” for the needs of the area.

Mr Emmons urged the council to take a “long-term” view and deploy the former library to a project that “really optimises” the community benefits.

“We’re not attempting this just on our own initiative; it’s in conjunction with people in the local area and actually at their request,” he said.

“We believe we have the support of the parish council, the district council, our member of parliament, local churches, HorndeanTechnology College and other schools. We now hope we will also have the support of the County Council in taking this venue forward.”

Larissa Mendress, from King’s Arms, added that the charity built “positive, trusted long-term” relationships with young people by providing a safe, homely space where young people are empowered to make positive choices.

That was the case of a boy who was “well known” by the police and the youth offending team. He struggled in school and was groomed into county lines activity, exposed to “horrendous abuse” as well as being trafficked by gangs into forced criminal labour. But that King’s Arms “empowered” him to see that “he had value”.

Mrs Mendress said: “We empowered him to see that he did matter and could be a positive contribution to his community.

“G [as she referred to him] felt empowered to dream big and know that he could make positive changes in his life. G is just one of our young people who made a transformational change for himself and our community.

“The King’s Arms present you [Hampshire County Council] with the opportunity to transform not only the lives of young people like G but also make the Horndean community safer for everyone living there.”

The second party interested in the building was a dental practice.

Dr Harpreet Kalsi, resident of Horndean, explained that the dental practice he works at opened up in Emsworth in 2008. In a two “little” bedroom house and later expanded to the former Lloyds Bank building in Emsworth in 2016.

However, due to the increased demand for oral treatment, the dental practice saw an opportunity in the former library to expand its premises.

Dr Kalsi said: “As you know, the NHS is screaming out the need for oral health. It has been on a decline recently, especially since Covid-19; access to oral health on the NHS has been limited.

“Living in Horndean, I know that access to NHS dentistry around this area is nil. There’s not a huge amount, and our current governing bodies are willing to expand our contract to potentially open this into the Horndean area, where we just need a site.”

The doctor said that the practice has been one of the leaders in delivering NHS oral health on the South Coast, with a £300,000 contract and up to 8,000 NHS patients on their list.

“This is ever growing, hence the reason why we’ve now expanded from the two surgery places into the former Lloyds bank”, he added.

He said the “iconic” building and its character would be maintained if they get the site.

Adding: “Unfortunately, Portsmouth has one of the worst cases of decayed, missing and filed teeth. It’s rated one of the poorest areas for oral health. Giving this healthcare opportunity is going to be crucial for oral health. That is our main reason for hoping to get the premises, and we look forward to delivering NHS treatment into the area.”

HCC has been contacted for a comment.