Earls Colne Village Hall Window and Door Project, Earls Colne Parish Council, Colchester

The project is to refurbish/replace the Earls Colne Village Hall traditional windows, doors, soffits and guttering.

The Village Hall was built in 1912 and desperately needs to refurbish/replace its solid wood, traditional windows, doors, soffits and guttering. Currently most windows do not open, and all are not weatherproof. The building is of historical interest and importance and used by a wide range of residents and their families.

The Parish Council heavily invested in a new twin boiler heating system this year and to maximise the benefits of this investment the windows and doors need to be refurbished/ replaced along with remedials associated with such works. The hall is the ‘Crisis/Operations Centre’ for the village in the event of an emergency. With solid windows that do not open and are not waterproof it is a challenge across all seasons to meet the demand for ventilation, warmth and safety on a day-to-day basis, even more so in the event of a crisis. Once the doors and windows have been addressed it will enable the Council to further invest in improving the décor, security and improve the reduction of carbon emissions.

When the project is completed, it will widen the hall’s accessibility for hire throughout the year. The facility has two halls served by a kitchen, with the main hall having a bar and a stage with lighting and audio, both halls have toilet facilities and disabled access. There are no membership requirements, and the hall is often called upon by charities and institutions such as Police, Church, and local government for public events.