Product category:
Bricks, Blocks and Lintels
News Release from: Ibstock Brick | Subject: Leicester Red Stock bricks
Edited by the Buildingtalk Editorial
Team on 02 November 2005
Donation of Leicester Red Stock bricks
Village hall transformed into model sustainable unit with Ibstock Brick donation
Community life in the small village of Battram, North Leicestershire, had centred for years on the small village hall, pre-fabricated from concrete fencing slabs and increasingly providing outdated and inadequate facilities In 2004 a totally new hall was constructed for them, under a partnership of local councils and committees*, including a donation of Leicester Red Stock bricks from Ibstock Brick
This article was originally published on Buildingtalk on 9 Jul 2003 at 8.00am (UK)
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Alan Bryan, of Leicestershire County Council's Highways, Transportation and Waste Management Department, who designed the hall with input from the Council's Resources and Community Services Departments, commented: "While there was initially interest from the Battram community in a large prestigious facility, talking through their wants and needs has resulted in a relatively simple unit, yet built to last to a very high specification".
"We needed to ensure that the hall could be sustained by the community, and not prove too big for them".
"A rectangular building is simple and inexpensive so, by not over complicating the building, we remained within the available budget and produced a very versatile space which is entirely appropriate to the size of the village".
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"Indeed, it is proving to be a model for others around the county and we have had several enquiries from other villages".
The new village hall is a rectangular brick building with a tiled roof, comprising assembly hall, secure IT room, store, kitchen, lobby and toilet facilities.
While the exterior design is simple, it has been carefully livened with dentillated courses and other detail.
Ibstock's Marketing Manager, Andrew Halstead-Smith, commented: "As part of our commitment to our local Ibstock community, we were very happy to encourage the building of new facilities in any way we could".
The GBP200,000 project, developed in close collaboration with the local community and funded by a number of bodies** (including building materials) is fully accessible with improved social, recreational and educational facilities, to become a new focus for the village.
The scheme also involved improvements to the adjoining recreation ground and landscaping.
*The Battram Village Hall partnership comprised Battram Village Hall Committee, Ibstock Parish Council, the Rural Community Council, Leicestershire County Council and North West Leicestershire District Council.
** Funding was provided by SWEET UK, Viridor Waste Management, WREN (Waste Recycling Environmental ), Leicestershire County Council's Shire Grant Scheme, the East Midland Development Agency, the National Forest Company and Ibstock Parish Council.
Construction was by a local contractor, KW Brookes of Coalville.
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