New village hall project gets £1.3m funding boost

A project to create a new hall for a "growing and expanding community" will move forward after £1.3m in funding was approved.

Bilsthorpe's old village hall in Cross Street closed due to ongoing maintenance issues and limited facilities.

Plans for a replacement in Crompton Road, which would feature a cafe, playground and sports court, and centralise the heritage museum and miners' welfare, were approved in December but faced a shortfall of up to £1.3m.

Newark and Sherwood District Council has made available £1m from its reserves, as well as £299,000 in cash from developer contributions, though this may be reduced if alternative funding is found by Bilsthorpe Parish Council.

The parish council first approached the district council in 2022 about repairing the existing village hall and addressing the lack of leisure facilities in the village.

However, once it became clear the old hall was unsuitable, a report recommended a new community hub.

Plans were put together for the project, but these struggled for funds.

In 2024, volunteers at the mining museum, housed in old squash courts and a gym behind the main hall building, expressed fears the uncertain future of the site might threaten the museum's future.

Paul Taylor, the district council's portfolio holder for public protection and community relations, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: "The local parish council and the ward member have done a massive amount of work.

"When you look at the value the community is getting, us putting money in at this stage has allowed them to bring even more money in. The return for the community is more than our financial contribution.

"Without the funding, it would have been difficult to keep going.

"It will bring the village closer together. It will bring a link to the old part and the new, and they will be unified into a single community."

District council documents confirming the spend added: "The proposed development of a modern multi-use community hub at Crompton Road meets the needs of a growing and expanding community.

"This project will create a social and recreational hub that enhances community engagement, improves access to services, and provides much-needed space for local events and activities."

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