WOW - The District is going to give us
100,000 to repair the Town Hall

Our sincere thanks to WODC and our congratulations and thanks to Deputy Mayor Keith Greenwell and the Town Clerk Vanessa who prepared our grant application and  to County & District Councillor Hilary Biles who fought it through Witney.  They all played a blinder.

Its pretty obvious that our lovely town hall is in need of some serious TLC. Keith Greenwell spent ages getting all the necessary surveys, quotes and filling out the piles of forms. His proposal covers the following main points:

• The Upper Hall is the venue for a number of dance and exercise activities. The current floor has reached the end of its serviceable life, and will soon be condemned as unsafe for dance and active use.

• The front entrance steps have deteriorated, and are allowing rain water into the fabric of the building. The water ingress has affected boilers and mechanical plant. Attempts have been made to repair the leaks but expert advice is that to prevent damage to the building fabric major work is required.

• Catering and hospitality are key requirements for daytime users. The location of the building prevents external caterers from providing mobile catering facilities. The proposal includes the installation of bar and kitchen facilities to service the hall. These facilities will attract higher usage through conference, exhibition, ceremonial and party functions.

• Improvements will be made to the layout of the disabled toilet facilities, improving accessibility to disabled users

The total project cost is 172,798.00; The Town Council have already agreed to find 33,843.00  We have made an application to the Trust for Oxfordshires Environment for 40,460.00 And we asked WODC at their Cabinet meeting today (Wednesday)  for 98,495.00 And the fantastic news is that they said yes - allocating us the money from the Village and Community Halls Major Scheme Grant. This has taken one helluva lobbying campaign in Witney which Hilary has masterminded. We owe her and our District Councillors a huge vote of thanks. What with 100,000 for the playground and a MUGA, now this grant for the Town Hall and a few hundred thousand coming our way soon for a Youth Centre (fingers crossed) - you have the feeling that the town is at last getting some of the attention and investment it has always deserved.

Keith has written to Hilary this evening : "I was absolutely delighted to see that your tremendous efforts at WODC have borne fruit, and that our application for a grant for the Town Hall has succeeded. Well done! Chipping Norton owes you a very public "THANK YOU FOR YOUR HARD WORK". On a personal level many, many thanks for your effort and support. Will you also pass on my appreciation and thanks to the other members of WODC Cabinet for their support of Chipping Norton".

In a Press Release from WODC :  Cllr Hilary Biles, Cabinet Member for Leisure, Tourism and Health at West Oxfordshire District Council, said: The Town Hall is used by many community groups and is considered to be the hub of Chipping Norton. This work will enable continued use by these groups, as well as allowing for the building to be used as an exhibition and conference venue, which will add to the vitality of the town. I am delighted West Oxfordshire District Council can support Chipping Norton Town Council and the people of Chipping Norton in this way.

Chipping Nortons Deputy Mayor, Cllr Keith Greenwell, said: I would like to thank West Oxfordshire District Council for its support of Chipping Norton. We are extremely grateful.

Delight at grant for Town Hall

The town council has pledged 33,843 and applied to the Trust for Oxfordshires Environment for a 40,460 grant that will also go towards the refurbishment. The district councils grant will help fund the replacement of the Upper Halls floor, which is used for dancing and exercising but has become unsafe. Major work will be carried out to the front entrance steps, which have deteriorated and are allowing rain water into the buildings fabric. These leaks have affected the boilers and mechanical plant.

A bar and kitchen will be installed for the hall and enable caterers, who have previously been unable to access the building, to provide services there. It is hoped the kitchen and bar will make the venue more attractive for conferences, exhibitions, ceremonies and social functions. The layout of the halls disabled toilets will also be improved.

Cllr Hilary Biles, the district councils leisure, tourism and health cabinet member, (pictured right with Deputy Mayor Keith Greenwell) said: The Town Hall is used by many community groups and is considered to be the hub of Chipping Norton. This work will enable continued use by these groups, as well as allowing for the building to be used as an exhibition and conference venue, which will add to the vitality of the town. I am delighted West Oxfordshire District Council can support Chipping Norton Town Council and the people of Chipping Norton in this way.

Chipping Nortons Deputy Mayor, Cllr Keith Greenwell, said: I would like to thank West Oxfordshire District Council for its support of Chipping Norton. We are extremely grateful.

COAL HOLE UNEARTHED SLAP IN THE
MIDDLE OF THE TOWN HALL STEPS

All of this is going to require serious council attention - including fund-raising. The tragedy is that when tiny Parish Councils were left with huge listed buildings to maintain there was no revenue stream or endowment to pay for them. The District and County made off with the land and the loot and left us with the liabilities. Faced with what is set to become a serious priority its a pity that only last night a coalition of Labour supporting the Conservatives ganged up to humiliate Councillor Greenwell who has done such a superb job so far in pushing ahead with this Town Hall re-furbishment project. I suspect this is now the last we will see of Keith's very knowledgeable involvement. Lets just hope that the new Deputy Mayor Chris Butterworh is an expert on listed buildings.