Future Developments

Phase 1: renovation of the very small kitchen by demolishing the existing structure and rebuilding a new and bigger one. The original kitchen was a single brick lean-to type structure dating back to the early1900’s and was used as the children’s cloakroom when the property was a school.

For this we managed to secure a grant of £8,000 from the West Lindsey District Council Community Grant Fund to match our own expenditure of another £10,000. This included the fitting out with units and a large 6 ring range cooker. This work was completed in 2016.

Phase 2: This was the renovation of the committee room. This room was originally built as the Head teachers’ study and also used as an addition class room in 1897. This was a fairly small room which was quite cold and damp. A new false ceiling was installed, Wall plater boarded and plastered throughout and the removal of the rotting suspended wooded floor and laying a solid concrete on with carpet squares laid and central heating installed made it an addition room that was both bright and welcoming. This was called the Blue Room and is now let our separately or with the main hall. For this we received a grant from the IGAS Energy Community Fund of £1,000 against a total cost of £3,500. The work was finished in 2017.

Phase 3. This was the renovation of the toilet block by far the biggest project so far that we had undertaken. Although the toilets had been replaced with adult ones and various other changes made for more comfort it was still in the layout used by the previous school children.

We managed to gut the place ourselves including removing the internal wall and the ceiling then employed a contractor to install two gents, three ladies and a disable toilet to the latest standards. The cost was over £25,000. Once again, we were fortunate to receive a grant from the West Lindsay District Council Community Fund and another £9.800 form National Lottery Awards For All scheme.

In January 2020 we carried out repointing of face brickwork to external walls. Brick joints were cleaned out to a minimum depth of 25mm where perp joints are less than 5mm wide, widen using an angle grinder to required width equal to adjoining perp joints. Where existing bricks are severely spawled to replace with new and matching existing, cutting out defective brickwork to full depth of brick on stretcher face and half brick on header face.

1. Remove and set aside existing guttering and down pipes for cleaning and replacing.

2. Remove all wooden fascias..

3. Inspect and undertake repairs to exposed ends of roof trusses.

4. To supply and fit black UPVC fascias and vented soffitts encasing exposed roof truss ends.

5. To remove existing wooden cladding above both end windows and fit UPVC textured wood effect ship lap cladding.

This work was completed at the end of February 2020

6. Take down section of chimney and to replace spawled bricks from section of demolished chimney. replacing spawled plinth bricks and abutment bricks from disused chimney.

Plans to Develope

PLANNING APPLICATION REF NO 140156

The Dunholme Old School has been a community centre since 1984 when it was taken over by volunteers after the village school moved to new premises on Ryland Road. Since then it has served as a venue for various organisations in a common effort to advance education and to provide facilities in the interests of social welfare for recreation and leisure time occupation with the objective of improving the conditions of life for the residents. So much so that the Dunholme Parish Council registered it as a Community Asset in 2014.

Over the years the committee has tried to maintain and improve the building as much as possible with little funds but managed with a few grants to make it more comfortable for the users.

It has been recognised for over 25 years that the rear playground was somewhat of a wasted space and that it could be used more productively. The old wooden building at the rear, although every effort has been made to repair and renovate it, is really beyond its useful life.

So, in 2016 the Trustees engaged a firm of architects to draw up plans to create new facilities This would fill most of the space available and incorporate all the rooms lost from the removal of the wooden building. It would also include a larger hall than we have at present.

It was not our intention to compete with our village hall but compliment it by not only having its main use for our current users but also concentrate of the performing arts of drama, music and indoor sports. This then will leave the original hall free for further development. Although no final decision can be made until planning for the project has been approved suggestions of a permanent tea room/Cafe/Bistro and a Social Club have been muted. We intend to maintain the front façade as it is an important part of the vista of the historical heart of the village. Once approval has been given a full business plan will be produced.

An application for outline planning was submitted to the West Lindsey District Council.

The Planning Process

The idea of our proposed development is first to accommodate those that are currently housed in the wooden hut and secondly to be able to provide a larger hall for a greater diversity of activities than we have at present.

The original plans were to fill all the land available except for emergency pathways so as to maximise its usage. This amounted to approximately 480 square metres including the space currently used by the wooden hut. When the application for planning was made there were objections from the Conservation Office and the Dunholme Parish Council to the effect that the Old School building was a Non-Designated Community Asset and was in a protected area as identified by the Neighbourhood Plan. We therefore had to carry out a Historical Impact Assessment to ensure the new building didn’t impinge of the view and so we agreed with the conservation officer to reduce the size of the proposed building by over 80 square metres so that it sits behind the frontage of the old school building.

Planning was approved on 4 March 2021

However, there are ten conditions we have to meet before any building work takes place.

These are: -

Planning Conditions

Conditions stating the time by which the development must be commenced:

The development shall be begun before the expiration of three years from the date of this permission.

Conditions which apply or require matters to be agreed before the development commenced:

2. No development shall take place until a written scheme of archaeological investigation has been submitted to and approved in writing by the local planning authority. The local planning authority shall be notified in writing of the intention to commence the archaeological investigations in accordance with the approved written scheme, at least 14 days before the said commencement. This scheme shall include the following:

1. An assessment of significance and proposed mitigation strategy (i.e. preservation by record, preservation in situ or a mix of these elements).

2. A methodology and timetable of site investigation and recording.

3. Provision for site analysis.

4. Provision for publication and dissemination of analysis and records.

5. Provision for archive deposition.

6. Nomination of a competent person/organisation to undertake the work.

Conditions which apply or are to be observed during the course of the development:

3. With the exception of the detailed matters referred to by the conditions of this consent, the development hereby approved shall be carried out in accordance with the following drawings: 11455 05M dated 08/09/2020, 11455 06G dated 03/11/2020, 11455 07 F dated 02/11/2020 and 11455 08B dated 03/09/2020. The works shall be carried out in accordance with the details shown on the approved plans and in any other approved documents forming part of the application.

4. No development, other than to foundations level shall take place until the proposed new walling, roofing, windows, doors and other external materials have been submitted to and approved in writing by the local planning authority. The development shall thereafter be constructed in accordance with the approved details. The details submitted shall include; the proposed colour finish, rainwater goods and type of pointing to be used.

5. No development, other than to foundations level shall take place until a scheme for the disposal of foul and surface waters (including the results of soakaway/percolation tests) have been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. The development shall only be carried out in accordance with the approved details

6. The development shall be carried out in accordance with the mitigation measures outlined in the submitted Flood Risk Assessment received 03/12/2019.

7. The development shall proceed wholly in accordance with the approved scheme of archaeological works approved by condition 2 of this permission.

Conditions which apply or relate to matters which are to be observed following completion of the development:

8. Following the archaeological site work referred to in condition 7 a written report of the findings of the work shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the local planning authority within 3 months of the said site work being completed.

9. The report referred to in condition 8 and any artefactual evidence recovered from the site shall be deposited within 6 months of the archaeological site work being completed in accordance with a methodology and in a location to be agreed in writing by the local planning authority.

10. The use hereby permitted under this permission shall not operate outside the following times:

• Daily opening times (Monday to Sunday) - 9.00 am to 10.00 pm throughout the year.

Notes to the Applicant

Archaeology

For advice on the written scheme required by condition 2 please contact

Lincolnshire County Council Historic Environment advisor (tel. 01522 554823).

Highways

Please contact the Lincolnshire County Council Streetworks and Permitting Team on 01522 782070 to discuss any proposed statutory utility connections and any other works which will be required within the public highway in association with the development permitted under this Consent. This will enable Lincolnshire County Council to assist in the coordination and timings of these works.

Foul and Surface Water Drainage

The application form states that both foul and surface water will be disposed of via the main sewer. However, under the sustainable drainage hierarchy, the aim should be to discharge surface run off as high up the following hierarchy of drainage options as reasonably practicable:

1. Into the ground (infiltration;

2. To a surface water body;

3. To a surface water sewer, highway drain, or another drainage system;

4. To a combined sewer.

The Dunholme Old School

Community Centre

Owned By

CHARITY NUMBER 1160106