As a further condition to planning consent, Swale Borough Council requires Hillreed to improve the junction in the sports field area and the new road, (that will go through to Sheppey Way), where it meets School Lane.

Again, this is irrespective of whether a new community centre is built or not.  

Should the community centre be built in the sports field area there would be signs erected, at the junction of Sheppey Way and the new road, directing users to the community centre via the new road.  

No, there is no connection.  

Hillreed’s planning application was approved by Swale Borough Council, prior to any thoughts of there being a new village community centre.  As a condition of planning consent from Swale Borough Council, Hillreed’s are required to build a small pavilion on the sports field site for changing rooms and showers.

  
This condition by Swale Borough Council of building a small pavilion was then seen as a possible opportunity in obtaining a site for a new community centre.

The present hall is not in the middle of the village and that does not prevent its use, so having a community centre sited in the sports field area should not cause any additional problems for users.

There are a number of reasons why this would not prove a practical solution.  

Firstly, the roof coverage is made up of a cement asbestos sheeting  which is a lightweight material and this has alread been sealed twice and while it is currently serviceable the roof will eventually need replacing.  At replacement the roof would need to comply with the then current Building Regulations whereby a lightweight material would not be accepted.   The construction of the hall to support the present lightweight roof relies on steel trusses mounted in/on correspondingly ‘lightweight’ walls. Briefly, to renew the roof means a virtual rebuild of the hall in order to support the additional load, also specialist companies would be needed to remove the old roof.

There are further construction issues with the hall floor wearing thin and the storage annex across the back requiring further bonding to the main building.

During reconstruction the hall would need to be closed for a prolonged period.   Access and use of the hall would not be available and local organisations and clubs would have nowhere to go.

Finally, the cost of reconstruction, (before any extension of the hall is even considered), would be substantial and entirely prohibitive – the hall does not have, nor does it have access to, such significant sums of money.

The Charities Commission were contacted in February 2011, prior to any consultations or meetings taking place, in order to establish whether there are any reasons why the present hall and grounds could not be sold, given that all the proceeds from such a sale were to be used to provide a similar benefit to that currently enjoyed.

The Charities Commission response was that the documentation they held, concerning Iwade Village Hall, does not make provision for such a sale; neither does it prevent such a sale.   
The actual extract from their reply on the procedure is as follows:-                                        
 “…. the trustees are able to fall back on the statutory powers of disposal within the Trusts of Land and Appointment of Trustees Act 1998 - where the intention is to apply the proceeds of disposal towards the purchase of new land to be held on the same charitable trusts”.