Fife village hall’s improvements plan to make it easier to use, less expensive to run

Craigrothie Village Hall committee has asked Fife Council for permission to improve the poor layout and poor energy efficiency of the well-used community building.

According to the committee, the building remains “relatively well-used” but suffers from “a number of issues.”

The basement has repeatedly flooded, leading to dampness in walls and movement in structure; there is no insulation on the flat roof, floors, or external walls; from the outside, the building is unattractive, and it has inadequate storage and toilet facilities.

“All of these factors result in the hall being used less than it could be, leading to lower revenue generation and the perennial worry of having enough funding to cover heating costs, maintenance, bills and any repairs,” a planning statement said.

“The poor energy efficiency of the building makes the building difficult to heat, meaning users can be uncomfortable and it costs a lot to try to make the building warm.”

It also means that the building’s carbon footprint is higher than it needs to be as a result. To address these issues, the committee has proposed a suite of improvements.

The proposals could see the roof replaced and extended, the creation of bin storage, and the installation of solar panels to help with energy costs. If approved, the building will also undergo internal layout changes, an external facelift, it will be insulated, and the doors will be replaced to make the building more accessible to the community. In a planning statement, the committee explained that the most effective way of improving energy efficiency is to externally insulate the building and install a new weather proof finish.

“This also offers a good opportunity to deal with problems with the external finish, changing the look of the building to something that reflects its use as a public space for important community activities,” a planning statement said. “The hall is the first object most people see when they come into Craigrothie from the south. It should be a symbol of the village ’s confidence and values.”

Councillors will consider the application in due course.