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Future plans

Model of HS community centre May 2015 2

Architects Waugh Thistleton have been appointed to advise on the action necessary to provide us with a modern community centre and they have made their recommendations. As a result it has been decided that we shall take the reconstruction route, by demolishing the existing building and constructing a new state of the art centre suitable for meeting the current and future needs of our community, as well as offering accommodation for the meetings and events of the wider local community. The aim is that this will also provide us with an efficient complex rather than simply two buildings next to each other. When the present centre was designed, it seems that no attempt was made to coordinate it with the shul building next door and we should now take advantage of this opportunity to correct that omission.

We are fortunate in having the pledge of a major part of the requisite funding and the architects are now embarking on a pre-application to the Local Authority to establish what it will and, just as important, what it will not permit on this site. Once that information is available, we shall hold a consultation with the community in order to decide finally on the facilities to be included in the architects’ brief for the new building. This work has become ever more urgent, not only because of the progressively defective condition of the existing building but also due to the demands for accommodation which our increasing range of activities requires us to house.