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We are pleased to share the Englefield Estate's proposals for a new community venue to replace the former Social Club which closed at the end of 2018.
Feedback received from a village survey in January 2019 has informed our proposals.
Background
The Social Club in Englefield was originally built as a Reading Room by the Estate for the village in 1884.
Over the decades the Club has received ongoing support from various quarters, including the Estate, but sadly at the end of 2018 the committee took the difficult decision to cease trading because it was no longer sustainable.
As the owner of the building, the Englefield Estate is committed to continuing to provide a facility for the community which caters for all ages and a wide variety of interests.
In January 2019 we sent a questionnaire to all residents of the Parish asking what you would like to see from a new community space. We also invited organisations and clubs who previously used the social club as a venue for events and meetings to submit their thoughts too.
From this it is clear that there is demand for uses including Parish Council meetings, children’s parties, fitness sessions, community gatherings and perhaps even jelly art and so the results of that questionnaire have helped to inform the following proposals.
Community venue
The Englefield Estate commissioned ATP Architecture to produce concept designs for a renovated and refurbished community venue.
Taking into consideration the feedback offered during the survey on the future of the building, the architects’ brief included the desire for:
- A meeting space for the village and other organisations.
- Retaining a sense of the history of the current building
- Efficient use of the available space, offering versatile accommodation
- A kitchen
- The potential for the space to be used by the nearby nursery and primary school.
In light of the survey results, and noting guidance offered by various organisations, core accommodation includes:
- Main activity and assembly space
- Entrance foyer
- Equipment and furniture store
- Kitchen
- Toilets -
including facilities for disabled people
Current building
The original Victorian building fits well into the village Conservation Area and has a gross internal area of around 121 square metres. Modern extensions added a further 136 sq m to the structure, giving a very large building of around 256 sq m in total.
However, the way the extensions were constructed led to a building with limited versatility.
The WC provision cannot cater for all ages and a wide range of user groups, and the kitchen facilities are constrained by their size and location.
Furthermore, some parts of the building are now beyond their intended design-
The current site plan
The proposals
We believe that a viable village venue can be delivered by focusing resources upon the renovation of the original fine Victorian building and the removal of the later extensions. This would also include the creation of new open play area and community open space, as well as disabled parking provision.
While the loss of space may seem drastic, the considerable cost of attempting to repair and convert the modern extension to a new layout is very substantial. The ongoing maintenance and running costs of such a large building must be considered too.
In addition, the removal of the modern extension does not preclude the construction of a more sympathetic extension or new structure in the future, should the need arise and funds be available.
The existing dwelling is connected by an internal doorway to the old social club, which would no longer be required. This property will be refurbished as a family home.
Consideration will be given to relocating the redundant telephone box within the site before then repairing it. This is because it obscures the view of the fine Victorian building. Imaginative suggestions for its use are very welcome.
The proposed new layout
The existing layout
Flexible space
The proposals allow the original Victorian building to be restored to its former glory by, for example removing modern ceilings to reveal the original full height roof structure.
In addition, they will provide a range of options for the interior layout of the original building, facilitated by the use of high-
In addition to this flexible space, there would be four WCs; one specifically designed for those with a disability, and also large enough to house baby changing facilities. A fitted kitchen would also be provided for catering needs.
Flexible layout: option 1
Flexible layout: option 2
Flexible layout: option 3
The future
Over the next few months thought must be given to how this building will be managed and financed. This is likely to involve the Estate granting a lease on concessionary terms to a management committee made up of local volunteers who would manage advertising, bookings, caretaking etc. We look forward to discussing that further.
We would also invite suggestions for the name of the new facility which might include:
Englefield Village Hall
Englefield Village Rooms
Englefield Village Club Rooms.
Timeline & Next Steps:
Summer 2019: Planning application submitted.
Autumn/Winter 19/20: Refurbishment works tendered and undertaken.
Spring 2020: New community venue opens.
These dates are indicative only and will be influenced by the time taken to process a planning application and the likelihood that some works may need to be undertaken during school holiday periods only.
Your views
We are grateful to everyone who took part in the January 2019 survey. The information you provided has helped us develop the proposals for a new Englefield Village Hub.
Once you have reviewed the proposals on this website, we would like to invite you to complete a short questionnaire and let us have any additional comments to inform a planning application to West Berkshire Council in the near future.
Please complete the questionnaire by Friday, 7th June 2019.
Click here to go to the questionnaire
Thank you.
Contact
This website has been compiled on behalf of:
The Englefield Estate
The Estate Office
Englefield Road
Theale
Berkshire RG7 5DU
Email: feedback@englefieldvillage.co.uk
The contents of this page constituted the majority of this website prior to July 18, 2019. This page is maintained to retain an accessible record of those contents.