Former and current North Devon MPs reopen Chittlehampton Village Hall

Chittlehampton Village Hall has reopened following extensive renovation work, with an open day held on Saturday, 22 March, to mark the occasion.

North Devon MP Ian Roome and former MP Selaine Saxby attended the event to officially cut the ribbon. 

The refurbishment was funded in part by a £264,000 grant from the Government’s Community Ownership Fund, which was secured during Ms Saxby’s tenure as MP.

Former MP Selaine Saxby said: “It was lovely to be invited back to open the Chittlehampton Village Hall. My previous visit had been with then Levelling Up Minister, Jacob Young MP to celebrate the awarding of £250K to the Chittlehampton project team, from the previous Conservative government, who supported our rural communities, through initiatives such as this.

"The team have done an incredible job, in a very short period of time, to transform the village hall for the local community, with everything from a new heat pump, to fabulous ladies loos making it an incredible community asset. Massive thanks and congratulations to the team involved.”

The hall, originally built in 1951 as a Ministry of Works building, has undergone significant improvements over the past 18 months. 

Renovations included new insulation, a replacement roof, wall cladding, and multi-glazed windows and doors. 

An air-source heat pump has been installed, along with upgraded electrics, refurbished toilets, and an automatic fire alarm system.

Keith Routledge, a trustee of Chittlehampton Village Hall, said: “This has been a team effort by the trustees from the start with great support from the community. Our sincere thanks to all our financial backers and benefactors.”

The open day featured live music from local musicians, refreshments, displays, and children's activities. 

Ian Roome, MP for North Devon said: “This fantastic new hall is a real credit to what a united community can achieve in just a couple of years - on budget, and ahead of schedule.

“Although Government grant funding helped replaced the old roof, many local tradespeople also donated their time and skills to work on this project, as well as enthusiastic volunteers that raised money and completed the redecoration. It's a terrific success: well done everyone!”

Trustees involved in securing funding and managing the renovations joined members of the community for the reopening.

Further improvements are planned, with additional fundraising efforts underway. 

The hall is now seeing increased bookings for community and private events.