RECOMMENDATION FOR PLANNING PERMISSION
Boccia starts
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Strand Hall renamed & refurbished
Church resubmits its planning application
PLANNING PERMISSION AGREED
Two years after we first submitted plans to alter the inside of the church building, we finally have a recommendation of approval from the Synod Listed Buildings Advisory Committee. Like the Church of England, the URC has delegated powers to approve internal alterations to its listed buildings, and as our church is a Grade 2 building, but before permission is given by the Synod Property Committee, the LBAC has to study the plans and its advice taken very seriously. Three heritage bodies, English Heritage, the Victorian Society and the Ancient Monument Society have to be consulted and – because the building is listed – their views carry great weight.
On 20th July the LBAC agreed to recommend our plans and the Synod Property Committee approved the application on 15th September.
The minister, Revd Roger Whitehead, has said, “This is great news. It is the result of hard work by a dedicated Refurbishment Group, by our architect Paul Heighway and our Heritage Advisor, Ian Parkin – and a wave of prayer within the congregation and from friends. Before we do anything else, we need to spend time thanking God for this result.”
This means that we can go ahead with grant applications. We can also go ahead with Phase 1 which is the removal of the pews. Our current plans are to remove the pews and pulpit in January and February 2011 to provide a flexible space until we have raised enough money to go ahead with Phase 2. This will mean acquiring new chairs and a new lectern. "It will give us much more flexibility in worship", says the minister, Revd Roger Whitehead, "as well as enabling us to develop our community work."
Boccia
When the church refurbishment is complete we want to develop work with the disabled, and so we have started a Boccia Group. Boccia rhymes with “Gottcha” and is rather like the French Boules or bowls played in doors.
The distinctive aspect of the game is that everyone plays sitting down, so there is no advantage to the able bodied. The game has caught on; we hope soon that our monthly session will become weekly.
It is a great social occasion for those who are often housebound, because each session ends with tea and biscuits.
We hope soon to be expert enough to invite the local bowls club to compete against us.
Hamilton Hall is renamed
The Elders Meeting is concerned to ensure that when the congregation moves out of the church building for refurbishment there is somewhere pleasant to meet. This will be a crucial time for the congregation – keeping ourselves together and feeling a sense of purpose in a different building.
So areas of the Hamilton Hall have been repaired and upgraded. There is now a new feel to the kitchen, complete with dishwasher, fridge and freezer. The old toilets have been lowered to ground floor level from the mezzanine floor they were on, so that they can be used by those who are disabled. The Carey Room, which is upstairs, is being turned into a useable room and the base for our computer club which we hope to start shortly.
To mark the change the name has been changed to the Strand Hall.
