Wickham Market Village Hall could see £500,000 investment for refurbishment years after rebuild plans dropped

A village hall could see a £500,000 investment for refurbishment four years after plans to rebuild it were dropped.

Next Tuesday, members of East Suffolk’s cabinet are due to discuss a £500,000 investment bid to refurbish Wickham Market’s village hall.

The bid follows the cancellation of plans to rebuild the hall in November 2020 due to the national financial crisis caused by the pandemic.

The whole refurbishment project is expected to cost £973,098 with the council being asked to pick up just over half of the bill with money from Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) funding — developer contributions paid to councils for investment in local services.

The report states: “The existing village hall is a well-used facility but is in desperate need of repair and improvement in order to meet the needs of users and provide for the growing population.”

In 2012, a survey of the building’s condition, which dates back to 1950, found the hall had clearly been deteriorating, with many items requiring attention, including flat roofs, heating, toilets, electrical systems, and insulation.

According to the parish council’s website, the authority hopes works can begin next year.