The consultation exercise conducted in May,  confirmed that there is substantial support for a joint venture by AVHT, AS&SC and ASPC to build a new village centre accommodating a new village hall, bar and social area and changing facilities. However, there were concerns about the location of the building, the external appearance of the building and the financing of the project.

Since the consultation, the Advisory Group, consisting of two representatives from the Parish Council, AVHT and AS&SC has been working hard to address these issues.  A number of factors, including the Localism bill have meant that the situation keeps changing and so it has been difficult to provide a meaningful update on progress.

Location

It is likely that the new building will be located on the recreation ground behind the existing village hall building.  MSDC have provisionally confirmed that they can make land available for this provided that the site of the current building is used for car parking.  Formal arrangements for the land will be put in place once the footprint and exact location of the building are available.

Appearance

The modern appearance of the draft drawings attracted some criticism and other designs and finishes are now being considered. It is hoped that a low cost design can be achieved that is more in keeping with a rural setting.

Funding

The financing of the project is challenging in the current climate and the Advisory Group has explored a number of options.  Ansty Sports and Social Club are busy seeking grants from various sporting organisations, including the English Cricket Board. They are hopeful that some significant grants can be obtained to add to the funds already raised by the Village Hall Trust.  The Parish Council are also likely to take out a Public Works Loan in order to make a donation to the project. The exact amount of this has yet to be agreed, but it is likely to be in the region of £100k.  The repayments on a loan of this size will be around £7000 per annum, depending on the term, and will mean that the Parish Council will then be spending approximately equal amounts on Ansty and Staplefield.

The possibility of building the project in phases is also being considered to help ease the financial burden.

WSCC and MSDC have both offered their support to the project and whilst money is tight for them too, they are able to assist in practical ways and have already provided a lot of support and advice.

Governance Arrangements

Some proposals are being drawn up regarding the governance of the new building. This is a complex area because there is a mix of charitable, commercial and leisure interests and all parties will need to seek their own legal advice on this.

Communication