Feasibility – Community Building

A Journey Through Decision-Making

At the Town Council meeting on September 27th, 2023, the Neighbourhood Plan survey showcased a widespread desire for a community centre in Redenhall with Harleston. Members unanimously supported applying to South Norfolk District Council for a ‘Pride in Place’ grant to conduct a feasibility study.

In January 2024, council members reviewed reallocating funds to support the feasibility study, which was unanimously agreed upon. The Clerk then issued a Request for Quote (RFQ) to nine companies, with the application submitted to the Pride in Place Community Grant Team on January 30th.

Awaiting the grant outcome by mid-March, councillors participated in the tender evaluation process, scoring technical compliance and price. On March 13th, the application was approved, marking a significant milestone.

At the Town Council meeting on March 27th, members noted the successful bid and agreed to receive funding, adhering to outlined conditions. The Clerk recommended engaging Chaplin Farrant as the primary contractor. This decision was unanimously approved.

The establishment of a steering group for the feasibility study was agreed upon, with Councillor Harrison joining alongside the Town Clerk, Town Council Chair, and other stakeholders. The initial contact meeting occurred on April 15th.

Stay tuned for further updates as we embark on this exciting journey together.

Our most recent Town Council newsletter included an update on our feasibility study. You can find out more here: https://harleston-tc.gov.uk/harleston-town-council-august-newsletter/  

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9th October 2024

We’re excited to share an update on the ongoing feasibility study for the current Leisure Centre building.

Options Currently Under Consideration:

•  Demolition, refurbishment, and a small extension of the existing building to create a community space and house Town Council services.
• A similar plan that includes an upper floor, dedicated to a gym and additional facilities.

Please note that, at this stage, neither option includes squash courts. However, the Town Council remains committed to exploring all possible options.

We will also be initiating discussions with the District Council’s Leisure Services to explore their potential involvement in the gym’s future operation.

Public viewing session:

You’re warmly invited to join us in the social room at Harleston Leisure Centre on Wednesday, 16th October, between 11:00 AM and 7:30 PM for a public viewing session.

This is a great chance to explore early ideas and artistic impressions as part of the feasibility study for potential improvements to our community building, commissioned by Redenhall with Harleston Town Council.

The display boards will be available all day, and from 3:30 PM to 7:30 PM, representatives from Chaplin Farrant, the consultancy working with the Town Council on architectural designs and solutions, will be on hand to answer any questions and gather your feedback.

We’d love to see you there and hear your thoughts!

We wanted to ensure we reach as many residents as possible when communicating our invitation to the public session for our community building. This includes the:

• invitation poster being published on our website
• invitation post being sent to all subscribers of our newsletter and groups & organisations newsletter
• A3 advertising boards
• invitation posters in the Harleston Leisure Centre
• invitation poster being shared on all Town Council notice boards
• invitation poster being shared by Harleston Information Plus and the Library, and
• an invitation post on Facebook.

You can find the invitation here: https://harleston-tc.gov.uk/invitation-to-a-public-viewing-session-on-our-community-building-16th-october/

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26th November 2024

Redenhall with Harleston Town Council are pleased to announce that the report from Chaplin Farrant in relation to the re-development of the Memorial Leisure Centre is now available. Thank you to everyone who provided feedback to Chaplin Farrant.

You can find the report here Community Building Harleston – Public Exhibition Report and on our post

Report for Memorial Leisure Centre Now Available! – Harleston Town Council

Please note that, for data protection reasons, individual comments found in Appendix B have not been included in the public version of the report. If you wish to see your specific comments and feedback included in the full report, you are welcome to review it at the Town Council office. Do contact us to book an appointment at enquiries@harleston-tc.gov.uk or on 01379 854519.

Thank you for your continued support and engagement with our community projects.

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