Fight to save Bishops Green Village Hall amid fears of demolition

A community association is hoping to increase the use of a village hall after fears have arisen that it may be knocked down due to disuse.

Bishops Green Community Association (BGCA) is the manager and operator of Bishops Green Village Hall on Beech Road, but the building is owned by Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council.

Since the pandemic, the hall has not managed to secure any regular bookings and it is only being used on an ad-hoc basis.

BGCA trustee Marian Dain fears that the hall’s lack of use could lead to its demolition.

She said: “If the community doesn’t use the village hall and it can’t pay its way, the trustees give the keys back to its owner which is Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council, and ultimately that means that the village hall gets knocked down because it can’t become a centre for vandalism or fall into disrepair.”

In a hope to revitalise the space – which contains a large hall, small meeting space, youth wing and coffee bar – BGCA is hoping to hire a part-time centre co-ordinator at the end of the month to overlook the operation of the hall.

Mrs Dain added: “Our first step and our last hope is getting the right person in who will work with the community, find out what the community really wants and ensure that the hall is open.”

To find out more about the post and the village hall, email BGCA chair Ronnie Slatter at bgca.chair@outlook.com