VILLAGE HALL NEWS SHEET December 2010  

Happy New Year from the New Build Team and welcome to the latest update on what's going on with the new Village Hall.
As you will see below, we are still making good progress towards our goal of having the new village hall open in autumn
THIS YEAR.

Sorry for the delay in getting the New Year's edition out in the News Sheet but the author was too wrapped up in the festivities!

Finance

The overall plan has always been to deliver the Hall with no additional funding from the Parish Precept and we still believe this will be achieved.

Grant Funding

• We currently have grant applications out for around £100,000.
  Whilst we don't expect to get all of these, we certainly expect some of them to be successful.
• We are doing an initial “short list bid” to the Big Lottery Fund Community Buildings Programme to see if we will be eligible for funding.

Public Works Loan

• We have had confirmed the Parish Council's application for a Public Works Loan should one be required.
  We are now around £130,000 short of our target and the Loan would be used if other funding is not forthcoming.

Other Funding Streams

• We are currently looking at three other funding streams , which may help to cover the shortfall in build cost and will publicise these as more information is known.

Community Fundraising.

• At the December Parish Council meeting there was a discussion regarding community fundraising and we were aiming to get interested people together in January. This has not been possible to arrange for January and will follow as soon as we have signed off the construction contract. Watch this space for dates!

Design, Planning and Construction

•  Tenders went out in early December and will be returned in mid January. Assuming prices come in as expected, we hope to be able to award the contract to build in early February, once our professional advisors are satisfied.

•  The Planning Application for the minor amendments to the hall, is expected to be approved in early January.

Business Planning and Legal Issues

•  KPMG, our retained business and financial advisors, have now offered advice on the business plan and will give an opinion on financial risk and assurance before we sign off the contract.

•  We have retained solicitors for both the Charity and the Parish Council who are working on the contractual issues between the two parties and the potential builders, to ensure that anything we do is properly signed off and has the levels of certainty that we need.

Communication and Questions?

•  As ever, if you have any questions or issues, please contact Shirley Sainsbury on 58882, so that they can be answered. Alternatively go to http://www.hickling-village-norfolk.co.uk/Council%20Matters.html and post your question there.