Council approves funding for new Batheaston Village Hall

Bath and North East Somerset (BANES) Council has approved £100k of grant funding for a new village hall in Batheaston.

The hall will be used by residents across the East of Bath, hosting a wide range of activities, and including a fully equipped kitchen, large storage areas and access to a grass field.

The funding for the project has come from the Council’s Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL), which is allocated for developments that improve facilities for people in a local area.

The Batheaston Village Hall is due for completion in October, and is forecast to cost a total of £850,000, with the £100,000 allocated to cover the cost of completing the building.

Cllr Richard Samuel, deputy leader and cabinet member for economic development and resources, said: ‘I’m delighted that the council is supporting this purpose-built space for residents living in and around Batheaston. With the excellent walking and cycling routes serving the area, the hall will provide an accessible heart of the community where people can join together for clubs, classes and social events. The hall will meet the needs of our growing population for the future and I look forward to seeing its completion later this year.’

George Riley, chair of Batheaston New Village Hall, added: ‘It’s been a lot of hard work but we are now getting close to finishing the build of the Batheaston New Village Hall.  It will be a wonderful asset to our local community for many years to come and the generous B&NES CIL award has now given us the confidence that we have enough funds to complete the building. 

‘We’ve still some further funds to raise but we are now in the best possible place to get the hall finished and open to the community. We send a very big thank you to Bath & North East Somerset Council from the Village Hall trustees.’

In related news, empty shops in Bath are being repurposed for the community, as part of the Council’s Vacant Units Action Project.

Photo supplied by BANES Council