Walpole St Peter's Hall set to be rebuilt after planning permission is renewed
Campaigners in a west Norfolk village are “over the moon” after receiving fresh planning permission to demolish and rebuild their parish hall.
Walpole St Peter’s hall – which was originally a cart hovel – was gifted in 1924 by the parish rector to the community, and was identified some years ago as being in need of a refresh.
“Let’s face it, it’s nearly a hundred years old and it’s not very warm in the winter time, and we just thought it’s time to see a new hall,” said local parish councillor William Brooks.
Permission for a rebuild of the hall had been granted by West Norfolk Borough Council in 2018, but the campaigners failed to raise enough money for the project before the permission expired in 2021 – necessitating a fresh planning application.
The new permission was granted on Tuesday of this week, which Mr Brooks said trustees were “over the moon with”.
Since the first permission was given, the campaign has raised roughly £35,000, but is expecting to aim for around £275,000.
“Obviously the reason we haven’t been able to move forward with it really is because of Covid… fundraising more or less had to stop,” said hall trustee Gill Henderson.
Until early 2020, those fundraising efforts had included afternoon teas, village archive mornings, craft fairs and bingo evenings, but the pandemic paused them all, and the bingo has only recently made a return.
The new permission means the clock starts ticking again for a further three years, and the campaigners will soon start applying for grants.
Plans for the new hall show that the new structure would be kept warm through the winter with an air source heat pump.
The parish church, just across the road from the hall, is one of the largest in Norfolk and has been variously dubbed the Queen of the Marshlands and Cathedral of the Fens.
If you would like to donate to the rebuild, are a business wanting to sponsor the efforts, or to offer any other help with fundraising, you can contact trustee Gill Henderson at: gillhenderson56@btinternet.com
