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This paper was presented to the Street Parish Council and debated at a meeting opened to the public on 9th September 2004. The Parish Council voted to refuse the Trustees' offer. See the Street Wise? blog of this date and also the Street Society's paper presented to the Parish Coucil in February 2003.
The future of the Crispin Hall
and Street Parish Council potential use
At a meeting of members of Street Parish Council and Two Trustees of Crispin Hall the members of the Council asked various questions based on the Feasibility Study of October 2002 and the Community Hall for Street survey of August 2003. The Parish Clerk summed this up in a letter of 26th March 2004 with "If the Council is to consider making a contribution of £400,000 to the renovation project for the Crispin Hall then it requires a reply from the trustees as to what benefit the Council and the community might get in return for such an investment".
The Parish Councillors had indicated the Council's own requirements as an administrative office for the Clerk plus one extra staff plus a location for one councillor plus space for computers, phones, photocopier and storage of documents -perhaps 40 m2. There would need to be a Parish Meeting Room of about 65m2 with preferably access to a larger hall for the rare larger meeting. If these were stand alone facilities then additional space would be needed for entrance foyer, waiting room, kitchen, toilets etc., to a standard having a "good face" to the public.
The Feasibility Study demonstrated that the main hall could have a mezzanine floor inserted keeping a large hall (160m2) on the ground floor and a variety of rooms or offices on the first floor (130m2 after allowing for passages etc.,). New toilets would be constructed, a central reception area created, level access, or with the aid of a new lift, would be provided to most rooms through out the whole building and the whole building would be refurbished to the standard of the Community Centre.
Excluding passages, lobbies, toilets etc. the area of useable rooms with level access or via a lift in the whole premises will be approximately 650m2 and without level access 340m2.
Based on the existing rentals in The Crispin Community Centre and with the background of rents currently achieved in the rest of the Crispin Hall, then the rental income for the whole premises may be £70,000 p.a. This is sufficient to include the £9,500 p.a. cost of maintenance over 50 years as specified in the Feasibility Study and approximately £5,000 p.a. for the same purpose which is collected for the Community Centre.
The estimated cost of the work in the Feasibility Study is £1 million at October 2002 prices, which will have to be increased by building works inflation. This may now be £1.15 million and based on this the Trustees suggest:
A new community trust with charitable status be created. Trustees may include representatives of the community, users and the Parish Council, although the Parish Council may not be the majority.
The new trust will not be subject to the restrictions on usage, such as no alcohol.
The existing Crispin Hall Trustees may give or sell at a nominal value the whole of the premises to the new Community Trust.
The Crispin Hall Trustees from their own funds and from other trusts would aim to give £450,000 towards the refurbishments subject to the Parish Council finding an equal amount. The remaining £250,000 may have to be borrowed.
If the Parish Council (as representing the people of Street) declines to part fund the refurbishment then the other trusts are unlikely to help with the funding. The Trustees will then have to consider their options which may include selling part or all of the premises.
The existing 1906 Trust Deed is written in an archaic form and we believe it would be possible in the circumstances to make the changes proposed. A similar case was the Victoria Field Charity which was created in 1897 with various restrictions similar to the Crispin Hall and was turned into a modern charity in 1978 without any of the restrictions.
What will the Parish Council get for its contribution?
It will secure the premises for use by and for the Community.
It can secure a "home" for its own purposes in a central position, in a high grade building with a "good face" to the public.
The rental cost for a Council Meeting Room, Office and Storage (as above) would in the normal way be about £10,000 p.a. This does not include the approximate £1300 p.a. for building insurance which would be in addition and vary pro rata to the amount charged for the total building insurance.
Would the Council consider making a grant of £450,000 towards the refurbishment if in return it was able to secure a fifty year lease at a reduced rental of say £5,000 p.a.?
Caroline Gould and Richard Clark Trustees
28th April 2004
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