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Plans for a new village hall

The current village hall has served Harby well but it is showing its age, both in the quality and flexibility of the accommodation and in the cost of maintenance. A plan for a new hall was submitted to the Parish Council in 2016 and was the subject of a public presentation and consultation with local residents in 2017. There was strong support for the project in response to a questionnaire issued at that time. Advice was subsequently sought from Melton Borough Council Planning Department and an arboriculturist, and there were further discussions with the Parish Council. Some illustrations of the proposed design are provided below and the full plans can be downloaded using the links on this page. Here are some key elements of the proposal:

  • The new village hall would be constructed at the western end of the village car park, with access from Langar Lane (see the map below). The old hall would remain in use during the construction period to avoid any interruption in this amenity.
  • In addition to a main hall with a stage, the new building would include meeting rooms; extensive storage space; a kitchen, bar and serveries;  a box office/reception desk; WCs and changing rooms. Outside, there would be a veranda with views across the Leys towards St Mary’s Church and an enclosed children’s play area. Dedicated parking would be provided onsite, with pedestrian links to the adjacent village car park.
  • The old village hall would be demolished and the site used for the construction of a pair of semi-detached properties, with the proceeds from the sale of the land being put towards the cost of the new hall.

The Parish Council has recently expressed concern about the loss of green space that the above development would involve. This was recorded in the minutes of their meeting of 20th January 2020 as follows:

“It was noted that The Leys is the only designated Local Green Space in Harby and, as such, the PC is required to protect it. It was agreed unanimously that the PC could not support Harby Village Hall Committee’s request to use part of The Leys for village hall purposes. However, if alternative contiguous land becomes available and is suitable to be considered for the replacement of lost recreation ground, the Parish Council may be able to work with the committee.”

More work is therefore required before we have a proposal that has Parish Council approval and can move forward to a planning application and fundraising campaign. We will provide updates on progress through this website.

Downloads (PDF format):

Proposed location of new village hall in Harby, Leicestershire
Proposed location of the new village hall
Architect's illustration of the new village hall design - view from the south
View from the south
Architect's illustration of the new village hall design - view from the east
View from the east