New lease of life for community hall (From Gazette)

New lease of life for community hall

11:00am Tuesday 16th March 2010 in

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IT is hoped a refurbished hall will be used by community groups in Greenstead.

The Forest Road Meeting Hall has been empty for the past year, but now Colne Housing Association is paying for its upgrade and has agreed to lease the building for the first 12 months.

A public meeting was held to allow residents to have their say on how the hall should be used.

Gordon Ayres, 36, of Lugar Close, said: “The hall is a good idea and, hopefully, it will make the area feel more like a community and bring people together.

“There is nowhere for 11 to 15-year-olds to go here. It would also be good to have something for older folk, like a bingo night.”

However, a couple who live in Penrice Close, whose back garden borders the hall, told the meeting they had concerns about noise and litter from the venue.

Marnie Cameron, community development officer for Colne Housing, said: “We are keen to find out how many people are willing to help out with the hall, and we would like people to start committing to the facility as well as offering ideas for the space.

“There are a really broad mix of people who have shown an interest, which is promising.”

The hall will cost around £7 an hour to hire and can be used for a variety of events and community ventures.

Colchester Council’s community street wardens and PCSOs hope to hold a youth club at the venue and events for elderly residents.

It is also hoped there will be a number of regular events, such as lunch clubs, coffee mornings and yoga classes.