A NEW village hall for Middleton-in-Teesdale will cost £600,000, parish councillors were told.
The current village hall, next to the primary school, is currently closed due to safety issues.
The Upper Teesdale Community Association (UTCA) has been developing plans for a new hall to be built on the site and recently hosted an open meeting to discuss the development.
Middleton-in-Teesdale and Newbiggin parish councillor Colin Headlam told members at their latest meeting he had attended to find out more.
He said: “They are going to demolish the old hall and the new plans are going through for the new one.”
Last year the association created a survey to gauge views of residents on what they would want to see from the new hall. To coincide with the meeting, the association launched a new online survey to find out how residents would want to use the new hall. Cllr Headlam added: “I asked what about the original survey. No one could say anything about it. But they wanted their views about what we would use it for.
“What they are saying is because the walking footballers and cricketers have nowhere to train in the winter, the village hall could be used for that.”
He said there were plans to make the building more economical to use at night with talks of installing an air source heat pump, solar panels and small wind turbines.
He added: “They are planning on building it forward of the existing hall to make it larger.”
Cllr Adrian Carrol said: “They are making it larger in size for more people to use, but where do they park?”
Chairman Cllr Kevin Tallentire questioned whether there was a need for the village hall. He said: “We have plenty of other places to use in Middleton.”
Clerk Judith Mashiter told members she and Cllr John Miller had attended a separate meeting regarding the village hall when the cost had been disclosed.
She said: “The cost will be £600,000. That includes £200,000 to demolish the old one as it has asbestos. But this does not include connection of services.”
Cllr Miller said: “Nothing about the running costs was mentioned.”
Chairman Cllr Kevin Tallentire said: “For £200,000 they could sort out our problem and give us a car park.”
