January 2025

Progress so far

Our architect firm, Blue Ink, has now developed initial concept drawings to fit the Parish Council brief. These were discussed by the PC in their January meeting and they are keen to press on with refining the plans.

As the new plan uses a fairly redundant area of the recreation ground between the pavilion and the MUGA, it saves most of the multi use games area (MUGA). It will probably be necessary to use a three metre strip along the pavilion edge to accommodate the size of building we want. It will still leave approximately 1000sqm that could be refurbished for a wider range of activities.

The new plan, below, will have a bigger hall than the original plan, so more likely to bring in activity groups for regular daytime classes that will raise revenue for sustainability. There will definitely be at least one other meeting size room and a cafe, much needed in the centre of the village. The chosen design also incorporates an enclosed landscaped courtyard between the pavilion and the new building. This could provide further outdoor seating options for both buildings.

Overall we aim to keep the eco credentials we required for the original building. The PC has cut back a significant amount of the shrub area around the line of trees leading from Egremont Road to the pavilion. This will tidy up that area and eventually add to the grass recreation area fronting Egremont Road and the new building.

The drawing below is not the final design. This design is the first draft and the next stage is to work with the architect to refine the design in the light of questions raised by the PC and the Hardwick Community Centre Working Group. You can still have your say and your questions answered by emailing me at 

a.west3412@gmail.com

I very much expect the final design to be ready for the next HH and will be on our website before seeking planning approval.

There is a full collection of previous updates and the full architect brief on this website.

Alan West - (on behalf of the Hardwick Community Centre Working Group.)