A senior councillor says plans for a new, modern community hall will help “unify” an expanding Nottinghamshire village.
Bilsthorpe Parish Council has been looking to develop modern community facilities in the village for a number of years in a bid to “meet the needs of a growing and expanding community”.
The old dilapidated village hall in Cross Street is closed, and there are plans to sell it to help pay for the development of a new facility at Crompton Road.
Plans for the new multi-use community hub, which will feature a café, playground and sports court, and centralise the heritage museum and miners’ welfare into a modern building, were approved in December.
However the project faced a funding shortfall between £1 million and £1.3m, depending on the sale of the parish-council-owned village hall.
Newark and Sherwood District Council has now approved a spend of £1 million from its reserves, as well as £299,000 in cash from developer contributions, to keep the project moving.
Cllr Paul Taylor (Lab), portfolio holder for public protection and community relations said: “The local parish council and the ward member have done a massive amount of work.
“The current hall is not fit for purpose, so they have put so much work and effort into the development of a new hall and centre. A lot of fundraising has been done and as a council being able to contribute to make it feasible is a great thing.
“As an authority we’ve managed our finances very carefully and it has allowed us to make a decision like this.
“When you look at the value the community is getting, us putting money in at this stage has allowed them to bring even more money in. The return for the community is more than our financial contribution.
“Without the funding it would have been difficult to keep going. It will bring the village closer together. It will bring a link to the old part and the new, and they will be unified into a single community.”
Plans from the parish council say the proposed new building will replace the existing Cross Street parish hall, which was deemed “no longer financially viable” due to its age and condition.
The district council was first approached by the parish council in 2022 for support to improve the condition of the existing community building and address the lack of leisure facilities in the village.
But the existing condition of the current village hall meant it would require either major renovation or demolition, while the condition of the heritage museum behind it is also poor. In addition, the site is restrictive, limiting future redevelopment options.
The parish council later secured UK Shared Prosperity Fund grant funding in 2022/23, which was used to undertake a community asset report.
The outcome of the report was a recommendation for a new community hub, and architects were later commissioned to develop a proposal for the new facility.
District council documents confirming the spend add: “The proposed development of a modern multi-use community hub at Crompton Road meets the needs of a growing and expanding community.
“This project will create a social and recreational hub that enhances community engagement, improves access to services, and provides much-needed space for local events and activities.
“The addition of a café and meeting rooms are expected to generate revenue, supporting the financial sustainability of the village hall.
“It is important to note that the final reserve contribution of up to £1 million will act as a balancing figure.
“This amount may be reduced if Bilsthorpe Parish Council achieves a higher sale value for its asset or secures additional external funding, thereby lowering the overall shortfall.”
