Residents urged to back 'once in generation' hall

Whittington residents have a “once in a generation opportunity” to get a new community facility says its parish council.

A consultation document has been sent to homes throughout the parish outlining plans for a new community hall to replace the rundown village hall.

The document explains: “The Whittington Community Hall Project aims to revive a sense of community in the parish by providing a modern, eco-friendly, sustainable hall where the community can meet and use it for a variety of activities and functions.”

The scheme needs the backing of local residents to go ahead.

It has been described as “Wychavon District Council’s flagship project”, with the district council willing to contribute £300,000 to the project in the form of a Community Legacy Grant.

Whittington Parish Council is seeking to raise an additional £420,000 needed to complete the project.

It would do that by increasing the parish precept over two years.

That would mean a 41 per cent increase, due to the Community Hall Project, for 2020/21, equating to £14.50 a year or 28p a week for a band D property.

In 2021/22 there would be a 45 per cent increase, for a long-term, low interest Public Works Loan. For a band D property that would equate to an extra £21.50 a year or 41p a week.

The total increase over the two years would be 104 per cent - £396 a year or 69p a week for a band D property.

Residents are being asked to support the increases to finance the hall project.

Among key community benefits of a new community hall highlighted in the consultation document are providing a venue for occasions including wedding receptions, anniversaries and christening parties, space for young people’s activities and healthy social activities such as badminton, carpet bowls, yoga and dance and exercise classes.

It could also be used for music, arts and cultural activities and meetings for businesses and organisations. It would have Wi-fi for hall users.

There would also be ample on-site parking and a community garden.

Following a tendering process a company has been selected to carry out the hall work if it is backed by parishioners.

The parish council says that in the longer term the precept would fall as the number of homes increases within the expanding parish, possibly dropping by as much as 20 per cent to 30 per cent.

In the document parishioners are warned that if they do not agree to the precept increase the Public Works Loan cannot be secured and the parish will be left with a building and land that will require “a huge sum of money” to make it suitable for any other purpose.

It adds that a new hall is “the only viable option”.

A voting form is included in the consultation document, with parishioners asked to return them to Whittington’s parish clerk by Monday, August 10.

At the conclusion of the survey the results will be published but individual responses will remain anonymous.

How the new Whittington Community Hall would look