Feock Reading Room Redevelopment update

Feock Parish Council originally purchased the Feock Reading Room in 1971. In recent years it has been used by a local private snooker club who surrendered their lease in March 2014. Subsequently, the Parish Council engaged in extensive consultation within the Feock community to determine any potential alternative uses for this site and last summer invited formal proposals in that context to be submitted by local groups. However, no viable proposals for community use were received and the Parish Council has consequently decided to redevelop the building into two residential dwellings for resale (subject to planning permission being granted).

The Neighbourhood Plan, through the Community Questionnaire, has identified a strong public desire for an improved/new village hall in Feock. The Parish Council is keen to explore all options to facilitate this. At a public meeting in Feock attended by the Parish Council, a large cross-section of local residents and members of the Diocese, the proposal of using the Albemarle Scheme to redevelop the existing Church Hall into a Community Hall for Feock received overwhelming support. A local committee was established to explore and develop this project through the establishment of a new charitable foundation.

In principle, the Parish Council supports the allocation of funds raised through the re-development of the Reading Room being used to support community projects such as this, once the Albemarle scheme has formally been approved by the Church, and a new lease on the premises has been granted to a local charitable group, who would then assume legal responsibility for this building. Consideration will also be given by the Parish Council to other funds derived from the sale of the redeveloped Reading Room being redeployed for other approved community projects across the parish.