Henry Cort Community College is being put forward as Hampshire County Council’s preference for the 18-bed site.
It comes after the previous plans to turn Stubbington Study Centre into a secure children’s home was thrown out amid huge protests, and plans to move Henry Cort away from its current site to a new building in North Whiteley in 2027.
The plans need the Department for Education’s agreement and planning approval.
It would replace the ageing Swanwick Lodge with a larger site providing 18 beds.
Cabinet members agreed on Tuesday that the site was its preferred option, with further evaluation determining it as the only and “most viable” choice for the “much-needed” facility.
The government department has proposed more than £60 million of investment in the site.
At the meeting, county councillor for Fareham Town, Pamela Bryant, said that because of the plan, she has received an “awful lot of comments” from residents who are talking about “having a prison there”.
“From the onset, they are very clear about what is going to be there”, Cllr Bryant said.
Addressing the comments, county council leader Cllr Nick Adams-King said that the children’s home is not linked to the criminal justice system; on the contrary, it is a home for the most vulnerable children.
Cllr Adams-King said: “To make it clear, this isn’t in any way something that is linked to the criminal justice system. This is for children who are incredibly vulnerable, and the home needs to be secure, not because they present a risk to others, but a risk for themselves quite often.”
Questions about the hockey field on the ground of Henry Cort and used by Fareham Hockey Club, Cllr Adams-King said that the plans would not impact the current use of the site.
The county council has confirmed that the children’s home would not require the entire Henry Cort site, and details of the layout would be set out as part of the planning application process.
Currently, there are no plans to sell off any part of the site, the council said.
Subject to DfE approval by the end of this year, a longer process would follow, including a planning consultation, which would provide an opportunity for the local community to have its say on the plans.
Should planning consent be granted, work to deliver the new home would not be expected to start on-site until 2028.
The council estimated that the potential site could be open by spring 2032, followed by an Ofsted inspection and registration process.