The new, state-of-the-art Burton Green Village Hall was officially opened at an event attended by Jeremy Wright MP, Warwick District Councillor Andrew Day and Cheryl Wall, Chair of the Burton Green Village Hall trustees.
HS2 has worked with the Burton Green Village Hall since 2014 to design and build the brand new facility that will serve the local community for decades to come.
Key features of the new building – which was built by Coventry-based Deeley Construction and designed by Dave Benn and John Viner from local firm VB architects – include an expansive main hall complete with exposed wooden beams, a professional kitchen, outdoor BBQ area, reception, and dedicated office space.
The site has been equipped with a car park complete with electric vehicle charging ports and a bicycle rack. The trustees also plan to install a water butt to conserve rainwater, which they will used to maintain the site grounds.
The building also features a series of stained-glass windows produced by local artist Vicki Aizlewood, influenced by drawings from children at Burton Green C of E Primary School. The windows depict the past, present and future of the nearby Greenway, with the final scene showing the re-established Greenway, complete with a HS2 train running underneath.
Eleanor Deeley, Joint Managing Director of the Deeley Group, said: “We are proud to have been involved in creating this modern and energy-efficient facility which will be at the heart of the community in Burton Green. We have a long history of creating community facilities which bring lasting benefit, and it is fantastic to see the village hall now open for local people to use.”
Alan Payne, Senior Project Manager at HS2 Ltd said: “Burton Green’s Village Hall has been almost a decade in the making and highlights the importance of HS2’s continued engagement with the local community.
“In another decade’s time, the Burton Green tunnel box will be hidden underground and covered in high quality wildlife habitat, and our investment will mean that the Village Hall will still be around to serve as a vital community hub for local people.”
Cheryl Wall, Chair of the Burton Green Village Hall trustees, said: “It’s just over one hundred years since the first Village Hall opened in Burton Green, and forty since the current building was constructed, both of which were conceived, funded and managed by enthusiastic community-minded volunteers.
“Campaigning for and delivering a new facility that builds on and enhances that legacy has been a long and challenging journey. We are delighted with the end result and believe Burton Green’s new village hall is a first-class facility of which the whole community can be proud.”
The new facility commands panoramic views of the Burton Green Tunnel, which is currently under construction by HS2’s main works civils contractor in the West Midlands, Balfour Beatty VINCI (BBV).
New video captures the reaction of the local community as they use the new facilities for the first time: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2CXGP5G66jk]
Photo caption: Jeremy Wright MP, Cheryl Wall Burton Green Village Hall Chair, and HS2 Senior Project Manager Alan Payne pictured with Eleanor Deeley and trust members in front of the new facility
