Wednesday, 11 November 2009

Dear All,

I am both amazed and flabbergasted by the way that the rumour mill has been working overtime in Elson on the subject of the Church Hall.

As you know when I circulated the Church Hall User Survey, the plans for the new Hall have been kept very open, fully available on this website and many people have seen, have been involved and have influenced the plans for the new hall. A good example of this would be the complete re-orientation of the internals of the site to accommodate an outdoor area for the Foundation Stage Curriculum.

The plans involve the building of the new site before the closure of the existing one, so that we can transfer our provision for the existing users of the hall seamlessly. Only when the new building is open will the existing site be closed, and we hope to be able to provide all users with modern, quality accommodation.

There have been some in the area who have spoken of eviction. This is not the case. It is true that I have given notice of the intention to move to the Scouts, to whom I am required to give 12 months notice, but have always confirmed my commitment to providing space for them, and I reiterate this commitment to everyone who reads this. The plan is to provide for everyone.

Of course, it might suit the agenda of some to perpetuate this idea of eviction as a tool to sow discord and subvert these honest and well-intentioned plans, but I would ask everyone in the Elson Community to approach me if you have any concerns about our provision for you or anyone else in the local community.

The Church wants to be a core part of the community, and provide for this community. I would be grateful if when others speak of this matter, that you clarify these issues as I have now explained them, point them to this article on the website and if necessary, refer them to me. My numbers and email are well publicised on this website.

These plans are still in an initial stage, and there may still be changes, but I am committed to hearing the voice of the whole community and particularly the users of the hall.

One issue which we are now actively seeking to address is the issue of off-street parking, and we are seeking to provide a solution in the Churchyard of the same size as the existing Church Hall parking as well as integrating within a wider and improved strategy for traffic management in the area (which will improve safety for the local schools in which I am a Governor and which I am also very concerned about).

Users of the hall will recognise the problems we have with a building of that age, the costs of upkeep and that we as a poor parish cannot afford to redevelop the site. We want to be able to provide the community with new, modern and comfortable surroundings and we can only do that with the help and support of the local community.

I hope that you will be able to support us in this.

 

Yours in Christ 

Fr. Simon Rundell

Vicar