Council on cusp of agreeing contractor for £250k renovation of Rectory Farm community centre

The £250,000 scheme won planning approval in April and will see a separate hall built, which will allow more than one activity to take place at any one time. The centre is currently used for a number of local groups and activities including a local playschool.

Now, the borough council’s cabinet has delegated authority to senior staff and councillors to approve the contractor to build the project. The council’s head of economy, assets and culture, in consultation with Francis Fernandes (borough secretary) and Councillor Tim Hadland (cabinet member for regeneration) will finalise the contract terms and appoint the contractor.

A report seen by cabinet members states: “This project has a very tight critical path. This is because the window for carrying out the works is restrictive, with work not able to commence until the school holiday period begins, and works being reliant on no people being on site.

“If we wait for the tender process to be completed before seeking cabinet approval it is probable that delivery will not be completed this year, and work will have to be suspended until summer 2020. This will have an adverse impact on costs.”

The proposal was rubber stamped by the cabinet at The Guildhall last night (May 22), with council leader Jonathan Nunn saying: “This is a good way of using the covenant money we got from the Barn Owl pub [which converted into a Co-Op] and this is good news that everyone is really happy to see.”

It is anticipated that the main contractor will be appointed in June, with work starting on site in July for a March 2020 completion date.