Additional Room, Toilets, Kitchenette, and Storage Facilities, The Little Aston Village Hall, Sutton Coldfield, Staffs

This is a project to convert the loft space at Little Aston Village Hall into additional space for use by the community. The loft space above the existing Committee Room and kitchen will be converted into an additional room with a separate access, toilets and kitchenette. The Committee Room toilets will be extended upwards to create the new toilets and kitchenette and outwards to create the access and to create much needed additional equipment storage. Thermal insulation and double glazing will be added to the walls of the Committee Room. An air source heat pump will be installed to heat the new and amended areas. There will be noise insulation between the two rooms.

Over recent years, there has been an increasing number of inquiries for the regular all year round use of a room that is smaller than the Main Hall for clubs, exercise groups, tuition classes, mother and baby classes, crafts, hobbies, etc. During the last twelve months, nine of these enquiries could not be accommodated because of the limited availability of the Committee Room during the Bowling Season when the room can be in use seven days a week by the Bowls Club. Also, some of the users of the Main Hall could be accommodated in a smaller room if that room were available all year round. The proposed new room with its separate access, toilets and kitchenette will overcome these issues and will allow additional groups to be accommodated within the Main Hall. Currently, there is insufficient storage space for the equipment that is required by many of the regular and potential users, especially for those who use the Main Hall. Unfortunately, some inquiries for the Main Hall could not be accommodated because of insufficient storage space. The new room has been designed to extend out over the access to the Bowling Green so as to maximise the room size within the available space and thereby to maximise the room’s suitability for the range of user groups who have already expressed a desire to hire it.

In terms of environmental considerations of the development, thermal insulation to the latest Building Regulations requirements will be applied to the external walls of the retained parts of the original structure; all the old external doors and windows will be replaced with double glazed units; all the new windows and doors will be double glazed; all of the new construction will be insulated to the latest Building Regulations requirements; and an air source heat pump will be used for heating all of the new and adapted parts of the building. Also, in conformity with the Planning Permission, a number of bat boxes and bird boxes will be installed and maintained at various locations around the site. No trees or other environmental assets will be affected by the project as the project will be contained within existing paved and roofed areas.