Newmarket’s All Saints’ Cornerstone project to transform church into community hub is backed

Town councillors have agreed to consider funding part of a £1 million project which would see a parish church transformed into a community hub.

Newmarket’s All Saints’ Church launched its Cornerstone project in May last year after two years of planning and, on Monday, Greer Harbinson, the project’s chairman, outlined details to councillors and asked for their support for a specific part of the scheme.

Changing Places will be a fully equipped facility where severely disabled people could be changed and cared for and would be accessed using a security key it is anticipated would be available through the town council as well as the church.

“We would like to ask the town council to consider funding this part of the project and to add it to its current contract for cleaning as it would be a facility for the whole town and its visitors,” said Mr Harbinson.

He said the cost of this part of the project would be £19,000.

Cllr Michael Jefferys said he supported the request because the facility would be of benefit to the whole town.

“Provision of adequate public toilet facilities is something we have always struggled with and I think this is an excellent project which will serve the town very well,” he said.

The council has already set its next year’s budget but members agreed that the project would be considered by the community services committee with a view to include it in the council’s spending plans for 2021/22.

Mr Harbinson told councillors that so far £100,000 had been raised towards the target of £1 million. It had applied for funding to West Suffolk Council’s Community Chest initiative but received nothing.

If the project goes ahead it will see the church completely transformed with a new entrance on the Park Lane/All Saints’ Road corner, a new kitchen, new toilets and baby changing facilities, and community meeting and counselling rooms. It is intended to remove the church’s pews, replacing them with chairs creating a space not just for worship but also for a range of community events. For more, go to www.allsaintsnewmarket.org