|
|
New Village Hall |
|
|
News: February 2008 Plans for the new Cottingham and Middleton Village Hall are progressing, with £40,000 being transferred this to Middleton Parish Council this month under the Glover Court Section 106 agreement with Miller Homes. Transfer of the land from Miller Homes to Corby Borough is also expected to be completed by the end of February.
Following these long awaited events, it will be time to consult as widely as possible with the communities of both villages on the uses for the hall. Feedback from the Parish Plan questionnaires from both villages clearly showed support for better facilities, but we need to refresh this data to ensure we know what current aspirations are. We are especially interested to know what our young people would like to see, although it will be vital to provide a hall with facilities catering for all age groups and the widest possible range of sports, leisure and cultural activities. News: August 2007 Cottingham and Middleton Village Hall Trust met with architect Ben Downie from the Inkpen Downie practice in Colchester recently to discuss some initial ideas for the new village hall which will be built on land at the junction of Main Street and Glover Court. Inkpen Downie has a track record in designing and constructing environmentally conscious facilities and has considerable experience in seeking and attracting lottery funding and environmental grants for buildings of this type. Dryden Phillipson from the Trust said that the next stage would be to hold further talks with both Parish Councils to look at commissioning a feasibility study for the project. News: February 2007 The charitable trust managing the development of the new meeting hall proposed for Glover Court/Main Street is changing its name from ‘Middleton Village Hall Trust (Northants)’ to ‘Cottingham and Middleton Village Hall Trust (Northants)’. The constitution of the trust will be amended to include the parish of Cottingham in its ‘area of benefit’. The change has come about mainly as a result of the overwhelming response from villagers in the draft Cottingham Parish Plan which reveals that 73% of villagers believe we should have one hall to serve both villages. When seen alongside the Middleton Parish Plan, it clearly shows that the people of both villages are thinking as one community on this subject. The trust will now be taking a fresh look at the hall design and the facilities it could offer, including the best use of the public open spaces surrounding the hall’s proposed site in Glover Court/Main Street. They will be consulting extensively with the community and special interest groups over the next few months. News: October 2006 The Middleton Village Hall Trust is still awaiting payment of the Section 106 monies from the Glover Court development to help fund the project. Middleton Parish Councillors have raised this ongoing issue with Corby Borough Council Deputy Leader Cllr Robert Scott who has agreed to take the matter back for further discussion with the Borough Council.
Meanwhile, we’re pleased to report that Cottingham Parish Councillors George Sear and David Sims have accepted an invitation to sit on the board of trustees for the Middleton Village Hall Trust to represent the interests of Cottingham villagers in relation to the project.
News: June 2006 Progress with the proposed Middleton Village Hall at Glover Court has been frozen due to the Section 106 funding for the project not yet materialising. This is despite a number of approaches to the Glover Court developers from Corby Borough Council. Meanwhile, in the light of the renewed focus on sustainability within the two villages, the Middleton Village Hall Trust believes there is a strong case for rethinking the facilities that the villages may need going forward - for example, a shop, doctor’s surgery, farmers’ market etc in addition to the conventional village hall concept. Dryden Phillipson, Chairman of Middleton Village Hall Trust, is currently in liaison with Cottingham Parish Council regarding the project and has invited them to sit on the board of trustees. In the draft Cottingham Parish Plan, 73% of villagers said that they would like to see a joint facility for the two villages so it would be great to see the two Parish Councils working together on this. Background Middleton Village Hall, to be located on land at the entrance to Glover Court has now been granted planning permission. The development will include a 1,300 square foot (119 square metre) main hall with a smaller meeting room, kitchen and toilets. To give you an idea of scale, the main hall will be larger than Cottingham School assembly hall, more than big enough to accommodate dances and discos.
There will be parking for at least 10 cars, with the option for additional car parking on the open space opposite the hall site.
So far, £105,455 has been raised towards the hall, including Section 106 monies from Glover Court developers Faircloughs and funding from Corby Borough Council, Northants County Council, Middleton Parish Council and Corus. Applications are now being made by the Middleton Village Hall Trust for further funding and donations towards the hall, estimated at a total cost of £330,000.
Dryden Phillipson, Chairman of Middleton Village Hall Trust, said: “The original village hall in Ashley Road, Middleton burned down in the 1960s and was never replaced. Two village surveys including the Parish Plan in 2003/4 have indicated a strong need for a suitable hall in Middleton for a variety of activities. The hall will be available for use by both Cottingham and Middleton residents."
Aerial photograph of site (marked by red shaded area)
For further information, please visit the Middleton Parish Council website at www.middleton-northants-pc.gov.uk or contact Dryden Phillipson on 770950, email dryden.phillipson@middleton-northants-pc.gov.uk
|
