New £1.3m village hall in Hermitage a step closer

A referendum was held in the village in May to ask parishioners whether they supported the parish council increasing its precept to fund a grant towards a new village hall.
Of the 1,293 eligible to vote only 281 did, with 159 voting yes, equating to 56.58 per cent of the turnout, and 122 voting no, or 43.42 per cent of the turnout.
Following the referendum, the parish council has now decided to grant Hermitage Village Hall Management Committee a sum of money to replace the current hall (pictured) in Newbury Road, which the committee has described as ‘dilapidated’.
The village hall management committee had requested a grant of £250,000 from the parish council, but the authority is yet to decide how much the loan will be.
The new hall is expected to cost £1.3m, with £140,000 coming from the village hall management committee, while Greenham Common Trust has indicated it could part-fund the project.
Land by the sports field in north Hermitage has been earmarked to construct the new building, with the current site expected to be sold off to part fund the new hall.
Hermitage Parish Council chairwoman, Ruth Cottingham told NewburyToday this week: “We have agreed conditions for a grant to the village hall committee.
“The next stage is the parish council would like to acquire the land where the new hall will be built. The land is currently owned by West Berkshire Council and we would like the land transferred to the parish council.”
Chairman of Hermitage Village Hall Committee and parish councillor, John Lawler said the project was moving in the right direction.
“We think the funding is adequate, we’ve proposed a site and we have planning permission. Now we’re about to embark on the detailed design.
“We’re planning to go out to tender in the first quarter of next year. There could be a spade in the ground in Spring, 2013,” he added.
The land for the new hall encompasses the village football pitch, children’s playground and food plants for protected butterflies.
The new hall is expected to be built adjacent to the football pitch and include changing room facilities.
Hermitage Parish Council is expected to further discuss its loan to the village hall management committee and land transfer of the new site at a meeting at Adelaide Room in Holy Trinity Church on September 20.