Hall needs £100,000 to bring it up to scratch

St Peter's in Church Lane needs to raise £100,000 to complete the overhaul of the existing building, which has not

been refurbished since it was built in 1971. Chiltern District Council (CDC) has agreed to the plans but, before building work can begin, the church needs to raise the funds to pay for it.

Viv Dorian, chairwoman of the church's fundraising subcommittee, said: "It is about time the hall was updated. There is a very 1970s feel to the place at the moment and, with the

hall being so widely used by schools and community groups, it needs to be refurbished soon to give everyone a better a service."

The plans came about after the church was told that it needed to provide a disabled toilet at the hall. This required a huge rearrangement of space, so much so that it was decided to update the entire hall at the same time.

Changes will include a refurbished kitchen, improvements to the central heating, moving the existing toilets to the ground floor and providing a small meeting room on the first floor.

In addition, the covered passageway between Church Lane and the churchyard is to be blocked off and used as a storage area, as there have been constant problems there with litter and youths loitering.

Mrs Dorian added: "In 1971, the new church hall was a significant landmark in the history of Chalfont St Peter. Our changes in 2008 seek to equip the hall for the 21st century, providing facilities of which the village can be proud."

The church now hopes to raise £70,000 of the £100,000 required through donations from the public, with the rest in the form of grants.

The hall will be open on Saturday, with plans on display between 9.30am and 12.30pm, giving visitors the chance to discuss the proposals with representatives of the church.