Honley Village Hall could soon be transferred to the community with a final decision just around the corner.
Sitting at Roundway, the hall is a “well-used” community facility, regularly hosting a range of activities and services including Honley Youth meetings and events, monthly markets, seasonal craft workshops and Brownies. It also has a Welcome Club for local Honley residents, which is linked to Ukrainian refugees in the Holme Valley.
The Honley Village Community Trust Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) wants to take on a 125 year lease for the single-storey prefab building and “maximise the use of the property for Honley residents; maintain the property for the use by the local community; and to support other organisations in providing activities that benefit all members of the community”.
The CIO was set up back in 2021 to lead on the asset transfer, replacing the Honley Village Community Trust (the Trust) which had been fully responsible for the management of the village hall since 2001.
Over the years, the Trust had invested in refurbishment of the building and facilities. According to a report to the 8 October Cabinet meeting where a decision will be made, the longer-term plan is to replace the property with a larger building that will accommodate a wider offer to the community.
New activities are also scheduled to be introduced following community consultation.
The report also explains that the council could bring in £132,500 if it opted to sell the hall, however, the benefits to the community are said to ‘somewhat mitigate’ this.
The council will also lose the £1,250 per month in rental income it currently receives for part of the property but this is said to be outweighed by future maintenance, repair and insurance costs the council may have otherwise incurred.
Ward Councillor, Charles Greaves, has welcomed the transfer, simply commenting: “More than happy to support the transfer, long overdue!”
