Plans for new Bucklebury village hall submitted
State-of-the art new building would replace Victory Room if approved
BUCKLEBURY Parish Council has submitted plans to build a new state-of-the-art village hall to replace the ‘outdated’ Victory Room.
The council says that the Victory Room is starting to show its age and is becoming costly to maintain.
The building in the heart of the village, plus the land it sits on, was conveyed to the local community in the will of Dame Nina Katherine Webley Parry Pryse, a Bucklebury resident who died in 1917. A committee of volunteer trustees was set up to look after the Victory Room, ensuring the hall was maintained for everyone’s benefit.
It is used regularly by art and keep-fit classes, Scouts, Cubs and Wolves, parish council meetings and other functions.
In its application, the parish council says: “While the existing Victory Room has seen many a great event and could tell many stories in its history, it is slowly decaying and losing its attractiveness to the majority of people making enquiries.
“While charges remain very modest, costs are increasing but the hall continues to just about break even, with very limited funds being accrued for maintenance and improvements.”
The application goes on: “With the Victory Room seeing its ‘mid 90s’ birthday this year, it is increasingly showing its age and becoming evermore costly to maintain. Its overall attractiveness to people wishing to hire is declining.
“It has often been used for post-church events such as funeral or christening parties and occasionally weddings, but the poor kitchen and toilet facilities are criticised by caterers and hirers alike.”
The council says that the Victory Room’s lack of facilities – such as no changing rooms, limited toilet facilities, no disabled access, no viewing/spectator area and limited storage, do not make it attractive as a sports venue. The new venue will address those issues.
The parish council says that the new village hall has been designed to “reflect the charm and personality of the existing building” and is “sympathetic to the environment”.
