Work starts on Village Hall revamp

After extensive discussions, consultation with residents and several planning meetings, work has finally started on revamping the Rixton with Glazebrook Community Hall on Manchester Road at the heart of the village.

The Hall has served the community for nearly 50 years, having opened in 1972, and has been a popular and well-used community facility. It is now undergoing substantial refurbishments to modernise it so that it can be open for public use for many more years.

The building, having deteriorated over the years with regular use and age, had begun to require constant expensive repairs, draining the Hall’s financial reserves. The Rixton with Glazebrook Community Hall Trust, the registered charity who own and manage the Hall and which is made up wholly of volunteers, decided that the time had come to look at plans for the upgrading and modernisation of the hall. The Hall committee wish to thank local businesses NCD and IWJS for freely giving their time and support to help get the project off the ground. Having taken advice and looked at the best examples of other new and recently renovated halls, plans were finally drawn up and applications made to various funding pots. The Hall trustees are delighted that monies have now been secured to progress with the works needed.

Funded in the main by the Hamilton Davies Trust, who have pledged £200,000 for the revamp, the Project, which is expected to cost around £250,000, is also being supported by the following:  Warrington Borough Council who have awarded £10,000; Rixton-with-Glazebrook Parish Council who have committed £15,000; and the Rotary Club of Irlam who have awarded £15,000. Thanks to the generosity of the above, along with £10,000 earmarked from the Hall’s funds, the work commenced in April.

The extensive refurbishment works will include replacement of all heating, lighting, electrical and plumbing systems and apparatus; updating and renewal of areas of flooring; improvements throughout to the toilets and entrance lobby; new fixtures and fittings and full decoration; a full upgrade of the bar and kitchen; new doors to front the storage space below the existing stage; and not least the removal of the suspended ceiling to create an increased vaulted area. If the budget allows a curtain wall will also be introduced into the main hall, enabling the large area to be split into two useable spaces. External works include over cladding of the main roof and repairs to the flat roof sections where necessary; an additional staircase to the front of the building to enable access from both sides, painting of brickwork and a small area of cladding on the front elevation where new signage is to be installed.

The Trustees believe that the proposals for the refurbished hall have been carefully and sensitively developed and that, when completed in Autumn 2021, they will better meet the future needs of the developing local community as well as improving facilities for existing users.

Posted on: 10th May 2021