A Shropshire village is to have a new hall

Memorial Hall, a former World War I Army barracks, has served Bucknell since 1922 after being built by local carpenters. However, the building does not meet modern standards, is expensive to run and very difficult to maintain. There are also many site constraints preventing any future development as it is situated between St Mary’s CofE Primary School and the churchyard extension.

In 2011 planning approval was granted for a new town hall. However, the plan was never implemented and the existing memorial hall has continued to be used. However, Bedstone and Bucknell Parish Council has found a new site in Daffodil Lane, opposite the village playing field.

“The move to Daffodil Lane therefore encourages the use of existing facilities and flexibility in terms of scale, placement and positioning of the scheme, which the current site does not offer from Memorial Hall,” says a design and access statement submitted by Prince Architects.

“The core tenet of the development is to provide multi-functional and flexible space to support Bucknell’s growing population. The new town hall will provide additional accommodation (e.g. a secondary lobby, office/retail spaces, a less formal living area and

landscaped outdoor areas) that the current Memorial Hall simply cannot provide.”

The proposal got a mixed view of responses, with 20 people supporting it and 18 opposing it.

“The new town hall will create a welcoming space for all areas of the village community, from children to the elderly. It is within walking distance for many of the villagers, but there will also be parking for those who cannot walk, including the less able members of our community,” said Susan Barrett.

“It will create a safe space for many different activities for many generations to come.”

However, Claire Hull said the new hall is large in size.

“Having been fortunate enough to have been raised for the past 41 years in the beautiful village of Bucknell, to build a town hall in an area of ​​outstanding beauty would be a total waste of land,” he said.

“The area in question is a very quiet part of town and certainly does not need the additional noise and traffic that the council would generate.

“The increased traffic would cause a huge safety concern on an already dangerous corner, and with young children in the area it would be a disaster in the making.”

However, case officer Jacob Collett said the proposed development was acceptable under various policies, so it was approved.