Future Village Hall Facilities in Horsmonden

Published: 04 August 2023

The following statement will hopefully serve to clarify the situation with regards to the future of Horsmonden’s Village Hall facilities, as we know a lot of residents are concerned about this:

The Parish Council is currently investigating the potential for expansion or refurbishment at the existing Village Hall, located in Back Lane. This is part of a larger project which will also include investigating the costs of building a new hall on the promised Brenchley Road site, as well as other potential sites. The Village Hall survey conducted in January 2023 identified from users the following requirements for the Village Hall to meet the needs of a growing population: increased storage, small meeting room, larger parish office, increased parking. Whilst increased parking may not be something which we can address at the existing site, the current site is central to the village and may be considered more accessible on foot than others, hence the Parish Council would like the village to be in a position to consider all potential options before making any decisions.

It should also be mentioned that funding for a new Village Hall would come from a variety of sources including section 106 monies from the developers of several sites in the village (not just the Brenchley Road site), as well as the potential sale of the existing site and possible grant funding.

The outcomes of all investigations will be looked at together with costs once the information is gathered and available and will form part of a larger public consultation on future Village Hall facilities for the Parish .