Councillors have unanimously agreed planning permission to alter and extend part of a historic Victorian building in the heart of Dunholme.
On Wednesday 3rd March, permission was given for work to begin – subject to conditions being met – on the Old School Community Centre; a community building currently owned and managed by Dunholme Trust.
The building, on Market Rasen Road, has been a community centre since the 1980s and will now be extended and altered internally to include a main hall and a multipurpose auditorium space, along with meeting rooms, offices, kitchens and toilets.
The work is set to include the removal of the portable timber frame building/hut, at the back of the main building, to make way for the new extension.
Chairman of the Council, and local Welton and Dunholme Councillor Steve England, said: “I fully support this recommendation. Over the years, the Dunholme Trust have brilliantly carried out many renovations and improvements to this building, with support from all of us at West Lindsey District Council, but it is time to now go even further.
“In normal times, this building would be vibrant with activity, and would be much-used within the community. To put it bluntly however, the part of the building in need of work has passed its sell-by date and I very much welcome the work that could soon begin to give this site a much-needed refresh and boost. I want to thank my fellow members for their support in this application.”
Chairman of the Dunholme Trust, John Ritchie, said: "The Trustees of The Dunholme Trust are delighted that our planning application for a new rear extension to the Old School Community Centre have been passed by the Planning Committee. Our application had to take into account that the Old School is in the historical centre of the village so had to meet the Heritage impact assessment which we were able to do.
“Over the past five years the trustees have spent over £60,000 of internal refurbishment, with the help of grants from the West Lindsey Community Grant scheme, increasing the usage by the community. The approval for an extension will now allow us to further develop our facilities in the interest of social welfare, recreation and leisure activities for the growing population of Dunholme."
To see the plans discussed in full – visit our website and watch the moment the planning approval was granted