May 2024
Eighteen months ago the Parish Council (PC) project to secure funding for a community centre on the recreation ground near the play park was reaching its final stage. After five years of research, consultations and liaising with the chosen architect a £1.65M building with a £150,000 buffer was put out to competitive tender as we considered a worst case scenario as £1.8M.
The Hardwick Community Centre Working Group (HCCWG) was waiting for the tenders due in February 2023 with their objective being to recommend a contractor to the PC to complete the build. Unfortunately that time period coincided with economic political upheaval, the Ukraine/Russia war and the catastrophic economic fallout of these that followed. By the time the five tenders had been received the £1.65M expected build came back with a range of tenders from £2.45M to £3.2M! - a huge leap in cost way beyond expectations from only months previously.
This has been highlighted in previous updates and the last year has seen the HCCWG trying to fill the funding gap in many and various ways. These include raising extra money (we now have a total of approximately £1.5M in the bank), trying to cut costs with the lowest contractor’s price and exploring reducing the size of the design to fit the money we have available. Each of these has so far been unsuccessful, so the PC have now been looking at alternative options to find a way forward.
We still hope for a community centre with a cafe and hireable rooms. The PC are now going to consult with the architects to see what options are available.
Exploring New Possibilities:
The Parish Council is now considering several strategies to move forward:
Constructing a smaller version of the planned building, potentially requiring only minor planning adjustments.
Designing a new layout prioritising a larger hall and a cafe while simplifying other aspects to control costs.
Considering a modular approach that allows for future expansion as additional funds become available.
With the village's approval, the Parish Council could secure a £0.5M loan to increase our total funds to nearly £2M, offering us more flexibility in the project’s scope and design.
It's important to note that our current funds, primarily sourced from recent local housing developments, must be utilised by 2029, or they will revert to the builders.
We Need Your Voice:
The original design was a product of our community's ideas, and your input remains crucial. We encourage you to review our outlined options or propose new ideas to help advance our project. Please share your thoughts by emailing me at: a.west3412@gmail.com. All constructive suggestions are welcome and will be carefully considered by the HCCWG and the Parish Council over the coming months.
This project has faced timing challenges, but with your continued support, we are confident that the community centre will become a reality. Imagine being among the first to enjoy a coffee in the new cafe as early as 2025!
Thank you for your ongoing engagement and support.
Alan West (on behalf of the HCCWG and Hardwick Parish Council)