THE FUTURE of Christchurch’s Druitt Hall remains uncertain, with some councillors calling for a replacement for the building.

The community hall in central Christchurch, which was discussed at Christchurch Town’ Council’s recent Community Committee meeting,is in need of repairs to its windows and roof, costing in excess of £240,000.

The buildings surveyor states that repairs could add another 30 years onto the building’s longevity.

A statement was prepared by Adam Elcock, chartered building surveyor at Elcock Associates, and read out in the online meeting, held on Friday April 23, by town clerk Daniel Lucas.

It said: “Subject to the building being maintained, then I would suggest 30 years is still feasible.

“The new windows, upgrades to the roof and insulation, as well as any upgrades to internal walls, will see this building occupiable into the future.

“There will undoubtedly be rolling repairs and maintenance, typical to many buildings, but on the basis, this is in place, then I foresee no issues in the short to medium term for the building.”

However, the recent repairs sparked debates among councillors about whether the money could be better used by the council or invested in provided a new facility to replace the hall, which was built in 1953.

Vice chair of the Community Committee Cllr Simon McCormack said: “I think what I was concerned about right from the beginning, was £40,000 being quite a lot of money for a building that we have all sort of agreed on that kind of needs replacing.

“I think this is where we need to be careful, because you are spending taxpayers’ money and everything has to be, right down to the pound, justified one way or another.

“I would love to see a facility there that is built and designed for future generations. But I think before we commit to a £40,000 spend, I feel like there needs to be some sort of discussion or look into where this is going because, if we are not going to replace that building for another 10 or 15 year, then the £40,000 is easily justified.”

Following the loss of Priory Hall after the Christchurch Priory sold the building in 2017, Druitt Hall is now one off a few community halls remaining in Christchurch.

Under the town’s Neighbourhood Plan, the building is being considered for renovation in order to improve the quality of the halls and facilities for the community across the town.

Another options available to the council is a loan which could be provided by the Public Works Loan Board.

The decision was made to instruct the town clerk to look into the possibility of a replacement building and to enquire about the plausibility of additional funding.

Chair of the committee Cllr Fred Neale said: “I am going to go with the proposal to instruct the town clerk to look into this in the way of a quantity surveyor and find out what details are missing, because we don’t have enough details to make any decision tonight, and we will bring this back to the committee at a later date.”

The council said they will work with Adam Elcock of Elcock Associates and Friends of Druitt Hall and trustees with the proposal and contact the architect from 2013 proposal.

A motion was also carried to propose a resolution of £5,000 for fees.