TODWICK VILLAGE HALL MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE
7.00pm, THURSDAY 27th JULY 2006

Present:

• Revd.Canon David Bliss (Chair & Trustee)
• Mr John Palmer (Vice Chair, Trustee & Parish Council)
• Mrs Jean Leah (Secretary & Trustee)
• Mr John Gabbitas (5th Trustee)
• Mrs Anne Rusling (Caretaker)
• Mrs J Marshall (rep. Margaret Ware)
• Mrs M Linda Hewitt (WI)
• Mrs Chris White (Tots & Toddlers)
• Mr Alan Tizard (Bowls Club)
• Mrs Liz Wainwright (Cricket Club)

Apologies:

• Mrs Margaret Grayson (Treasurer & Trustee)
• Mr Harry Bower (PCC)
• Mrs Gill Frith (MU)
• Mrs Margaret Ware (Over 60s)
• Mrs Mari Gabbitas (Craft Group)
• Mrs Ann Andrew (MU)
• Mrs Mary Pavey (MU)
• Mrs Sandy Armstrong (Guides)
• Mrs Celia May (Harthill & District Child Minders)
• Mr Rod Walker (Todwick Parish Council Clerk)

Visitors In Attendance:

• Mr Clive Pantry (Todwick Parish Council Chair)
• Mr Paul Langford (Todwick Parish Council)

29/06 BUILDING WORKS COMMITTEE UPDATE

• The Chairman welcomed all present to the meeting. He said this special meeting had been called - and there was to be only one item on the agenda - which was to update all members of the progress being made with regard to the Village Hall modernisation project.
• The Chairman gave a special welcome to members in attendance from the Parish Council who were attending in their capacity as members of the Building Works Committee.

Below is a summary of the main points raised:

• The plans have been submitted to RMBC, the cheque cashed, plans acknowledged and these are now in the planning system. The usual time-scale for planning application is 8/9 weeks.
• The building regulations are due to be submitted and once submitted usually only take a period of 3 weeks.
• The Secretary has now forwarded letters and draft plans to 9 prospective builders. As soon as replies have been received the next step will be to forward these to the Architect to process the positive replies through the tendering stage.

The Chairman went through the submitted plans, as follows:

• Bowls Club requirements - these are now accommodated within the plans.
• Flat roof concerns - the submitted plans still retain a flat roof which will be as most leading supermarkets have with integral guttering. Funds will not permit us to have a pitched roof.
• Bike park - it was acknowledged that this had been seen as an insecure unit. As such the submitted plans retain the bike/pram/wheelchair unit facility but it is now a fully secure unit.
• Second Hall - a wall has been moved to make the room larger. No fire door has been included as yet as the architect believes its requirement is borderline as the distance from Hall 2 to the entrance may not necessitate it. It was explained if a fire exit was shown and subsequently found not to be required, the fact the fire exit had been included on the submitted drawing would necessitate it being installed. As a result it had been decided to await the outcome of the planning application and if we were informed that a fire exit was in fact required this would be added by the Architect.
• Kitchen - has now been extended as far as possible by extending it both to the right and left. There is a serving hatch into Hall 1. There is a corridor and stable door from it to Hall 2.
• Storage (right of kitchen) - this has been extended. There may be the possibility of extending this further if funds permit. Alternatively there is always the opportunity for it to be extended at a later date.
• Toilets - despite anxiety expressed by users, the plans submitted show the main toilets still located on the first floor. The reasons for this are that if many people are using the Village Hall at one time cloak room and toilet areas need to be together and there is not enough space to accommodate these downstairs. However it was recognised that we should try and ensure more than one toilet was located downstairs. Whilst from a legislative point of view only one disabled toilet is required for the size of the building, the Building Works Committee are still considering whether there is the ability to "shuffle" the downstairs layout so as to accommodate another toilet (ordinary not disabled). This will not affect the plans submitted and a decision on the final layout will be made in the negotiations with the prospective builders. In considering the layout of the ground floor the BWC will consider additional toilet space -v- the necessity to have downstairs office space (bearing in mind that we must not discriminate for any potential recruitment positions in the future which would require utilisation of the office space).

Comments made by those present were:

• Are dimensions for Hall 2 as submitted the same as was originally planned? (A. Yes)
• What car parking facility will there be? (A. Only 9 spaces which the Architect has a slight concern about and hopes will not be a stumbling block for planning permission purposes).
• Will the door in Hall 1 be capable of opening outwards so that two bowls mats can be used at one time (A. don't believe this will be a problem).
• Disappointment was expressed that the Architect had not acted on things asked for (ie, putting in extra toilet / showing the dotted line in for additional storage space). (A. It was explained that great debate was being exchanged between the Building Works Committee and the Architect in respect of the second downstairs toilets. In respect of the dotted line this had not been included as it was considered there would be insufficient funds available to meet the cost of the extra build).
• Why hasn't the Architect incorporated all the original build? (A. from the Architect's point of view the project has been looked at as a whole and in his opinion to utilise all the original build would result in the overall new building looking mis-shaped hence part of the original building being demolished).
• Comment was made about the disappointment that the Architect was not present at the meeting. (A. It was explained that members of the BWC were present at the meeting and acting as agents for the Architect).
• Concern was expressed that the clock is ticking and no building work has yet commenced. (A. it must be appreciated that the planning stage is crucial and takes time. All that can be done is being done and the BWC are committed to ensuring the set deadline date of 31 May 2007).
• How long will the Village Hall remain open? (A. users can continue to use the Village Hall up to the end of September and the position will be reviewed at that time).

There being no further business the meeting closed at 7.50 pm.

The next Village Hall Management Committee will be held at
7.30 pm, Tuesday 5th September 2006
(venue - Village Hall unless you are informed otherwise)