As far as the future is concerned, I am a fan of Science Fiction!
In Science Fiction “The Future” often leads to fantastic advancement amazing journeys full of expectation and hope but often with Setbacks Conflicts Disasters or even OBLIVION!
The future of our Village Hall potentially involves all those possibilities!
This building is nearly 50 years old and it’s showing its age although still structurally sound a cursory glance and you will see it needs work on the Roof, external Walls, Windows, Heating, Drainage and more!
To understand its present state over the past six months CCA Trustees have undertaken a review of its Condition, Income options, Challenges, Risks and considered potential solutions.
Based on that review we are seeking feedback on 4 future options. These being:
Option 1: Continue As Is just improving the preschool external play space and fix current maintenance and repair issues, that should extend the life of the building another 20 years, costing an estimated £70,000, for immediate repairs, up to £30,000 for the new play space, in the next 12 months and circa £200,000 pounds between 2025 and 2029. That’s just to ensure the building continues to operate safely overall repairs and maintenance will cost upward of £1.4m over remaining life of the building.
Option 2: Refurbish Existing building and enhance the Preschool play space, fix all the repair issues, and replenish the entire building. That should increase its expected lifetime. However, we would need to close the Hall for a short period. The current estimated cost of such works exceeds £500,000 pounds, but future maintenance and operational costs would be mitigated.
Option 3: Refurbish the Hall as Option 2 and build a preschool extension, that treatment would result in the same considerations as Option 2, but free up the Hall for other users and enhance the Preschool offering to deal with any anticipated growth in the size of our community. It would marginally increase operational cost, which would be more than offset by increased income. The estimated cost of this option at today’s prices is over £1.5 million.
Option 4: Build a new specifically designed Village Hall, the ultimate solution, meeting present and future local needs, with increased capacity for a growing community, securing essential Preschool activity and offering the option to create a centre for other key community services. This would also increase operational costs but be more operationally cost effective, environmentally sustainable and, of course provide a Village Hall for the next 50 years. To pursue this Option, we would still need to spend circa £100,000 on the existing building to keep it operational for the next few years. Consequently, this would cost around £5 million pounds all in at today’s prices.
All these Options have advantages and disadvantages and need for cooperation from the Parish Council and Community, with cost ranging from £300,000 to over £5 million pounds all need grant aid with potentially up to 50% match funding!
The Options are on the wall for you to look at on our new website at capelvillagehallkent.co.uk from later this week, please have a look, have your say, you can even win a prize for the best suggestions!
Success for any of these ideas / requires two essential elements / Money and You!
Each solution needs immediate and long-term funds, generated from ongoing Operations, local Events, Government and or Private grant aid.
Undertaking such efforts needs people to get involved, act, support and help keep the Village Hall, now and for “The Future”.
Despite previous appeals to the Community, we do not have enough Trustees or active Volunteers nor funds, to implement any significant corrective work. Or indeed create positive future outcomes, without help the Village Hall and its Services has a very limited time left maybe 2 years or 3 if we are lucky!
This Village Hall is Not a graded building, it’s Not an historical monument, it’s Not even an iconic design, but it is Functional, it serves a Purpose, and it is a Legacy of our community.
Fifty years ago, this Community made the effort to create this amazing facility, what happens next is still up to this community, You!
My plea is Help! How? By being involved, hoping someone else will step forward and keep it going, will only lead to that worst of futures OBLIVION! So, join the CCA and help continue the journey into the Future!
The Choice is Yours!
Harold Cleminson
Chair Capel Community Association
April 2024
Email: capelcommunitycio@gmail.com
Last modified: 17 April 2024
