Stuart Bevan , as Chairman of the Village Hall Committee and of the Community Project team, then explained the many problems associated with the village hall, which was built in 1910 on church land and run by the Parochial Church Council until 1964, when it was leased to the Parish Council. The hall will have to close in 2004 unless new facilities for the disabled are built at a cost of about £20,000. To modernise it would cost nearer £130,000, and still it would be badly sited. The meeting agreed that it would not make sense to build a new Community Hall next to the school as planned, if the school builds its own hall. Unfortunately current use of the village hall hardly justifies the building of a new hall, without another major user, like the school. Stuart said that he had spent 12 years as Chairman of the Village Hall Committee trying to keep the hall open and welcoming, but it had been an uphill struggle, and he wondered whether the village was really prepared to support a hall. He had hoped to see the Project through to a successful conclusion within the next couple of years, but he now felt that the timescale would be longer, at least for the village hall, and that younger people should address the issues raised by the news about the School. So he would be retiring as chair of the village hall at the AGM on 22nd April.
Fiona Gould spoke for the fundraising group who would continue in being and wait to see whether the school bid is successful. If it is not, there will still be a case for the original scheme. She suggested that an alternative focus for the Community Project might be more sports facilities and better transport. The village should be consulted.
Jeremy Barber, Chairman of the Parish Council, said that assessing village needs will fit in well with the Parish Council's belief that the village needs a Village Plan, to include issues such as housing, services, community buildings, land use and design, transport and countryside access. Villages are now being encouraged to draw up plans with professional help. (For more about this see the Vital Villages website at www.countryside.gov.uk/vitalvillages/). This might involve encouraging some new homes in the village, including "affordable" housing. Development could bring funding for new facilities. Those at the meeting indicated that they would not oppose this sort of change, although someone said, "it depends whose backyard it is in". The basic question we need to address is what we want our village to be like in the future. If we do nothing then the population will gradually get older. Our school, shop and pubs may come under threat as population drops. It is already less than it was 100 years ago.
The feeling of the meeting was that the options should be kept open until the outcome of the school bid and the effect on village amenities is known. In the meantime it is important to keep the village hall going and the Parish Council should start work on a Village Plan.
Where does the village go from here? Your views are needed. The Parish Council will consult the village when drawing up the Village Plan. If you'd like to comment now or help with the plan please contact a councillor.