3:00pm Thursday 2nd September 2010
An ongoing saga over Cowling’s new village hall has been brought to an end.
Craven District Council’s planning committee has agreed the hall can be turned over to the people of Cowling in its current unfinished state and that its ownership be transferred to Cowling Parish Council as custodian trustees.
The decision overturns a Section 106 planning obligation, which required Skipton Properties to provide a completed village hall as part of its plans to build 31 new houses on the old Acre Mill site in the village.
While the new hall is structurally complete, it has not been fitted out and has been empty for two years.
Coun Ady Green, who represents Cowling ward, made a plea for the stalemate to be broken.
Speaking after the planning meeting, he said: “It’s been a brilliant day and everyone’s so relieved. This has been ongoing for a long time and the last two-and-a-half years have been very, very hard work. It was a unanimous decision by the committee and I’m glad I’ve got its full support.”
Richard Price, chairman of Cowling Village Hall Management Committee, said it was a “complicated issue”.
“There are many different views in the village,” he said.
Cowling Parish Council had previously requested enforcement action to be taken against Skipton Properties to ensure completion of the new hall.
Chairman Coun Alan Perrow said the village hall was an “empty shell” with an exterior structure, foundations and a few interior walls. He said between £216,000 and £300,000 was needed to bring it up to scratch.
“The £300,000 amounts to 10 years of precepts for Cowling,” said Coun Perrow. “It’s a long way off completing and it’s a considerable undertaking for a little village.”
But Mr Price said that with the new hall turned over to the village, the management committee could apply for grants and money raised from the sale of the old village hall would also go towards the costs.
He said: “Although the old hall may take a while to sell, it should be an attractive investment for developers because the site has planning permission for three new houses. It’s been a wonderful building but we hope the village is ready to say goodbye.”
The management committee has organised a fundraiser for the hall. Musician Simeon Wood will perform at a concert in the old village hall on Friday October 15 at 7.30pm.
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