Sponsored by
New community hall in pipeline
Plans for a brand new community facility in Ampthill are set to be submitted after more than a decade of discussions.
The redevelopment of Parkside Hall has been in discussion stages for around 12 years, and last year the Parkside Hall Task Force was set up to put together a plan.
The group is now set to submit the plan to Central Beds Council for planning permission.
An ambitious scheme to knock down the current building and replace it with a brand new one was originally discussed, but this year it was agreed that it made more financial sense to refurbish the current premises.
Taskforce chairman Sally Bacon said: “It has taken a lot of hard work, but it is absolutely fantastic that we now have the plan in place to apply for planning permission.
“The task force was created about 12 months ago when I was mayor and is made up of members of the town council and trustees. I kind of decided that this had been going on for long enough and we really needed to get things moving.
“We have some really hardworking members on the group and it’s really thanks to them that we are now at the planning stage now.”
It is set to be proposed that half of the hall is knocked down and rebuilt, with the other half undergoing a massive refurbishment.
If planning permission is granted, it is hoped that work will start at the beginning of next year.
The hall will be closed for around nine months while building work is carried out.
Mrs Bacon, who is also a member of Ampthill Town Council added: “The plan was quite ambitious to begin with, but after we looked at it we realised we just didn’t the money to completely replace it, so this plan made the most sense.”
The majority of the funding has come from the town council. and the project is expected to cost around £550,000.
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Bedford
Wednesday 19 June 2013
Today
Light showers
Temperature: 14 C to 24 C
Wind Speed: 12 mph
Wind direction: North
Tomorrow
Thunderstorm
Temperature: 12 C to 18 C
Wind Speed: 14 mph
Wind direction: East
