The need for a new Parish Hall was identified by the community through the 2005 Parish Action Plan: a community hall fit for life in the 21st century. The vision is to develop a real heart to Buxted integrating the Ionides Trust land and recreation ground as a combined space for the community.

The ‘heart of Buxted initiative’ (or HOBI) involves various stakeholder groups in the community including support from the council. A charitable company is being formed with representatives of many local groups as well as individual community members, to take the project to the next stage. If you are interested in getting involved you are more than welcome to come along to meetings and help out.

The new hall will not be a parish council-owned facility as is the Reading Room. As with the Five Ash Down and High Hurstwood village halls, it will be a true community hall, owned and run by the community. Fund raising has begun with donations from the hog roast event at last year’s village fete and from Carols in the Conifers organised by the woodland volunteers.

The PC also granted initial funding which the HOBI group is using to hire an architect to develop the hall plans. Simon Barker (Barker Shorten Architects LLP) was appointed, having been identified from a previous screening of locally known architects, for his ability, experience and expertise working on community projects. Many of you attended the drop-in workshop Simon organised in January to help inform him of the broad community’s needs. This work included spending a day with children at Buxted School and carrying out surveys of the school children and Saplings pre-school and of local parent’s’ needs and aspirations. Simon has developed a master plan for the site, now ratified by the stakeholder groups, the Ionides trust and the Parish Council. The site master plan has been used in discussions with the Primary Care Trust, Ryhurst (who will be building the surgery) and WDC. Simon is now working on plans for the hall which will soon be shared across the community in order to gather your input and views.

While a planning application will be submitted this year to allow for formal costing of the project and to ensure a holistic vision for the Ionides site that includes the surgery and the hall, clearly the hall has a long way to go before it becomes a reality, not least raising the necessary funds.