Plans to convert hall into community hub approved

PLANS to “rescue” a crumbling hall and turn it into a community hub have been granted planning permission.

Trinity Hall in Harpsden will now undergo an estimated £4m redevelopment after South Oxfordshire District Council, the planning authority, approved the scheme.

The Henley Community Hub, which took over the hall about 18 months ago, is set to turn it into a home for Henley Music School and open it to other community groups.

The hall is currently in a state of disrepair with a leaking roof and rotting floors but will have a new one-story side extension and glass link between the hall and the rear building to contain a gym area on the ground floor and a snooker hall on the first.

Solar panels will be installed on the roof, the two dropped kerb entrances will be merged and the hall refurbished, with new external wall and roof insulation and windows.

The mezzanine at the back of the hall will be slightly extended to accommodate two recording studios and the extension to the side of the hall will house toilets and a practice/ piano storage room.

Architect Simon Mack submitted an application to develop the site in August but later withdrew it after the town council objected due to insufficient parking.

Councillors also said that the proposed northern elevation would impact residents in Harpsden Road and Walton Avenue, causing a loss of daylight.

Residents had also called the plans unviable due to the limited on-street parking available and the provision of three spaces on the drive.

But Mr Mack submitted a revised plan last month which removed the first floor above the proposed side extension, added a mono-pitched roof above it and increased the cycle parking space.

Due to the reduction of the second floor, plans for two music rooms and a conference room have been scrapped.

The town council recommended its approval and the district council has said it met the objectives of the joint Henley and Harpsden neighbourhood plans, which includes maximising leisure opportunities for all ages and ensuring that the required health, education, leisure and community infrastructure is in place.

Mr Mack said: “We have engaged further with the local authority and with the local residents and we addressed their concerns and it was great that when we took it back to the town council it was happy to support it.

“We’re very happy with the outcome of the design — despite the changes, it still looks absolutely fantastic. We’re very pleased because it means that we can now crack on and start fundraising and thinking about it in real terms.”

Mr Mack said that they would actively try to reduce the number of car users at the site to cause as little impact as possible to neighbours.

“Realistically, the extension is not really changing the capacity of the hall,” he said. “But, as we have done from the very start, we want to encourage people to walk and not to drive and we have increased the number of cycle bays. This is a community hub and we will still be bringing along the neighbourhood with us.”

Laura Reineke, who runs Henley Music School, said: “We are all thrilled that planning has been granted on this project to rescue Henley's poor, crumbling hall.

“Our vision of a hub for all is beginning to look possible. We would like to see a place for young people to meet, feel safe and have a range of spaces for all groups, charities and clubs to use. It is all looking bright for the future.

“The hall was built in 1908 and put into trust for the community, to be used by the community as a whole and that is what we plan to continue but for this century. It has fallen into disrepair and is now very sad indeed. Our plans aim to make the hall fully accessible, environmentally ambitious, and future-proofed for the next 117 years.”

Ms Reineke said that the support of the community was needed in order to bring the project to life and the hub was looking for people to join its team.

She said: “As a lifelong Henley resident, I see the Henley community as a hugely supportive, engaged one and we, the trustees, are hoping that we can encourage everyone to get involved.

“We imagine the cost of the project to be around £4m and we will need a raft of experts including a project manager. “

Ms Reineke also gave her thanks to Mr Mack for his work on the project. She added: “He gave his precious time to this ambitious project and has been nothing but amazing.”