Designs

The enlarged section of the drawing left shows more detail of the meeting room on the ground floor of the church tower, with the stairs up to the boiler room and additional storage on the mezzanine first floor (removed for visibility). Above this mezzanine floor is the current bell-ringers floor, which will remain unchanged.

The toilet is concealed in its own oak panelled room in the northwest corner of the church, with the kitchen area, in matching oak, visible in the south west corner. The font can be seen in its current location close to the main entrance door.

The 75 m2 area with new Ancaster stone floor is located behind the pews at the rear of the Church.

The step up into the tower room (shown in the drawing) is now unnecessary and the whole space will be on the level, facilitating the best possible disabled access. There is also level (or slightly sloping) access from the tower room directly to the outside, through a doorway already present in the wall of the tower.

How the Project Began

For many years been concerned about the progressive loss of places in the locality where people can meet eg the Primary School, part use of the Brownlow Inn, some local barns and a privately owned farmhouse, and began investigating the possibility in around 2000 of utilising space in the Church.

A Village Survey was carried out that involved leafleting every house in an inner catchment area: more than 50% of these were returned completed and were in enthusiastic support of the project.

The survey suggests that as many as 900 ‘different’ people may enter the Church each year when the Community Project is complete, than would otherwise be the case. This may be increased by tourist interest in the Church and surrounding area. This project has already attracted interest and support from local people who would not normally attend church eg in the preparation of applications for funds, and in carrying out the Survey.

Over 6000 people living in the Inner and Outer Catchment areas would be within easy reach of the facility.

The Survey confirmed a real enthusiasm for the Community Project, and many helpful suggestions were made.

Consultations with English Heritage, The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings, Archbishops Council, The Victorian Society and Natural England, plans for the remodelling of parts of the Church to make it more useful to the community were professionally prepared and submitted, with supporting evidence, to the Diocesan Advisory Council for the Care of Churches. (DAC)‘Approval in Principle’ was granted by the DAC on 27.11.06, with some minor specific reservations.

Since then the Project Committee has been enlarged* to make it truly representative of the community at large, and the Parish Council are now formally represented on it. Now that funding is available, the more detailed work needed before a Faculty can be obtained has been commenced.

The area is in the top 10% of the most deprived areas in the country, for access to services. There are no bus services, nor is there a school, shop, post office, or even a mobile library, and there is no public meeting place. None of the approach roads to Hough on the Hill, or Gelston, or any of the neighbouring hamlets or outlying homes, are gritted, making it difficult for people to use other Village Halls in winter.

Business Plan

The cost of Phase 1 of the project is £94K. Phase 1 covers work at the West end of the Nave including the provision of a Toilet, Servery, stackable seating, and lighting. This space will occupy 75sq.M

  • WREN has awarded* this phase of the project ‘up to £40K’
  • The Village Hall fund has donated £6K of which up to £4.4K is reserved for the Third Party Funding (11%) required by WREN. An explanation of Third Party Funding is given in the WREN website.
  • The PCC has set aside £20K from existing funds for the project overall.
  • The Brownlow family (Mr. Cust) has donated £15K towards the cost of this phase.

* this award is open until end June 2011 by which time the Project Committee must have obtained the remaining funding needed for Phase 1 ie £39K, from other Charitable sources. This work is in hand.

The cost of Phase 2 of the project is £156K. Phase 2 covers work in the Tower and includes the provision of level access into the base of the Tower where a Meeting room of 25sqM will be formed which will be warm, clean, dry and well lighted. A new energy efficient boiler will be installed.

The total cost of the project overall is £250K.

Terms of Reference

Our terms of reference have been agreed on, click here to view them.