Ottershaw Village Hall Refurbishment Project

Ottershaw Village Hall is in need of refurbishment and extension in order to provide modern and good quality facilities which meet all current legal requirements and the expectations of current users.

What is needed?

Consultation with the users of the Hall identified the following needs:
Replacement of the toilets with provision for the disabled and provision of baby changing facilities.
Modernisation of the main Hall to make it warmer.
Replacement of the doors and windows to reduce draughts and improve insulation.
Renewal of the kitchen.
Provision of a smaller room for meetings and to link to the main Hall to provide flexible use of the main space.
Provision of facilities which enable easy access and use and comply with the Disabilities Discrimination Act.
Reduction of the environmental impact of running the Hall by making it energy efficient in terms of heating, reducing water usage and improving soundproofing.
Provision of separate dressing rooms for children and adults.
Provision of secure storage for regular user groups.
In addition the electrical, heating and hot water systems all need replacing. There is some minor subsidence to the rear extension and the current use of the Hall is restricted due to the poor sound insulation.

Renovation Plan

The intention is to renovate and extend the existing building in a series of project phases – see plan below. This has the advantage that the works can be prioritised and carried out as funding becomes available. Also the building will remain in use as much as possible with periods of closure scheduled for the summer and holiday periods when usage is low. The main phases are as follows:

Phase 1a (in red). Re-development of toilet block with disabled and baby changing facilities, also relocation of the existing electric distribution board.

Phase 1b (in blue). An extension to the main Hall providing a separate smaller meeting room and extended kitchen facilities.

Phase 2 (in black) is the main Hall refurbishment and development. This includes alteration of stair access to first floor balcony, general overall improvements to electric circuits, ceiling and roof with additional thermal and sound insulation plus various new doors, windows and disabled access.

Phase 3 (in pink). This will involve extension to the rear of the stage to provide more and improved changing rooms.

Plans

For more detail see the Plans (download PDF format).

Expected Outcomes

Provision of facilities complying with the Disabilities Discrimination Act
Increased usage of Hall facilities by a wider range of community users.
Reduced energy consumption
Reduced noise pollution from the Hall
Increased viability of the Hall to enable continued provision of a key community asset.

The cost!

The current estimate of the total amount needed to undertake all the project phases, development and refurbishment is over £375,000 (excluding VAT). Phase 1a and b will cost about £220,000 (excluding VAT).
Whilst the Hall is financially sustainable with respect to maintenance and running costs, the surplus income derived from lettings is insufficient to fund these works.