Last Updated August 2026
Why do we need a new Community Centre?
Hadlow Down’s existing Village Hall is more than 60 years old and its condition is deteriorating. The building has limited parking, poor accessibility and difficult vehicle access via an unadopted residential road. Increasing concerns about the condition of the roof also underline the need to secure the long-term future of our community facilities. We are facing the threat of our old Hall closing before we have built the new one.
The Sports Pavilion, built in 1975, is similarly no longer adequate for modern use. It has poor disabled access, limited changing and toilet facilities and does not meet the standards now expected for safeguarding of children, vulnerable adults and inclusive community sport.
The new Community Centre will bring the Village Hall and Sports Pavilion together at the Playing Field, providing modern, accessible facilities for the whole community.
It will provide a flexible, welcoming home for community events, drama, indoor and outdoor sport, exercise and wellbeing activities, clubs and societies, meetings, children’s activities and social gatherings. Just as importantly, it will be a place people can simply come together — providing a warm hub during the colder months, a base for health and wellbeing outreach programmes, and a volunteer-run community café offering an informal, accessible place to meet, connect and spend time with others. A place that people can come together.
The need for improved facilities has been demonstrated through village consultations and surveys undertaken in 2010, 2013 and 2023.
Where will the new Community Centre be built?
The new Community Centre will be built at Hadlow Down Playing Field, School Lane, on and around the site of the existing Sports Pavilion.
The location allows us to bring our sporting and community facilities together on one site, with substantially improved parking, safer access and a direct connection to the Playing Field.
Importantly, planning permission for the project is extant. This means the planning consent has been secured and protected through commencement of the approved development.
Why was the Playing Field chosen?
The Playing Field site was selected following many years of consultation, feasibility work and consideration of alternative options.
It allows the Village Hall and Sports Pavilion to be brought together in one purpose-designed facility, with approximately 43 parking spaces, cycle storage, improved accessibility and direct access to the Playing Field.
It also removes many of the constraints of the existing Village Hall site on Hut Lane, including very limited parking and difficult access from the A272 through a residential area and along an unadopted road.
Does the village support the project?
Yes. Community support for improved facilities has been demonstrated repeatedly through village surveys and consultation.
Most recently, in the September 2025 Parish Poll, residents voted in favour of the Parish Council:
- realising the value of the existing Village Hall site to contribute towards the new Community Centre; and
- taking a Public Works Loan Board loan of up to £250,000 towards the project.
Together, these measures represent a potential village contribution of approximately £500,000.
This local commitment is extremely important when HDCC approaches local government, charitable trusts, foundations and other major funders for match funding.
How was the design developed?
HDCC worked with local organisations, community groups and users to develop the architectural brief.
MJB Architects were appointed to develop the scheme and designs were presented to the community at public meetings and village events. Feedback from residents and user groups informed the development of the plans.
The resulting design brings the Village Hall and Sports Pavilion together while responding carefully to the rural setting and the sloping Playing Field site.
The new Hall includes a stage, kitchen, meeting and community spaces, storage and modern accessible facilities. Large doors connect the Hall directly with the Playing Field and outdoor terrace.
How much will the Community Centre cost?
The project is being approached in phases to make it more achievable and fundable.
Phase 1 will deliver the new Village Hall and essential infrastructure, including the main hall and stage, community and meeting spaces, kitchen, toilets, storage, car parking and associated external works.
Our latest cost planning indicates that Phase 1 could cost up to approximately £2.48 million, subject to confirmation through detailed technical design and competitive tender.
Phase 2 will deliver the dedicated Sports Pavilion facilities.
Construction costs have risen very significantly since the project was originally conceived. Completing the detailed technical design and tender process is therefore essential to establishing a robust construction price.
How will it be funded?
No single source will fund a project of this scale. Our strategy is therefore to assemble a funding package from a number of sources.
These include the substantial contribution being made by the village, local government funding, charitable trusts and foundations, National Lottery and sporting funds, major donors, grants, sponsorship and community fundraising.
The village’s contribution of approximately £500,000 puts us in a significantly stronger position when approaching major external funders.
HDCC Trustees are currently working intensively to develop this funding package.
What is happening with Wealden District Council?
HDCC has been in detailed discussions with Wealden District Council about significant financial support for the project.
An important part of progressing major funding discussions is demonstrating that the project is technically developed, accurately costed and ready to move forward.
This is one of the reasons completing RIBA Stage 4 is now such an important priority.
We will report significant developments in these discussions through our News pages.
What is RIBA Stage 4?
RIBA Stage 4 is the detailed technical design stage of the project.
Our planning permission establishes what we are allowed to build. Stage 4 provides the detailed architectural, structural and engineering information required to establish precisely how it will be built.
It includes the detailed drawings, specifications and technical information contractors need to accurately price the project.
Completing Stage 4 will allow us to move towards competitive tender and establish a robust construction price.
Just as importantly, it demonstrates to major funders that the project is properly developed and ready to proceed.
Why are you fundraising for RIBA Stage 4 now?
The RIBA Stage 4 technical package costs approximately £42,000.
We have already raised £24,000, leaving approximately £18,000 still to find.
Our immediate priority is to raise the balance so that we can commission this vital work as quickly as possible.
It is a relatively modest sum in the context of the overall project, but completing this work could help us unlock funding worth hundreds of thousands of pounds towards construction.
In other words, donations made now have the potential to make a disproportionately large difference to the future of the project.
What happens after RIBA Stage 4?
Once the detailed technical package is completed, we will be in a much stronger position to move towards competitive tender and establish robust construction costs.
This information is also important for our discussions with Wealden District Council and other major funders.
In parallel, Trustees will continue assembling the wider funding package required to begin construction.
When will the new Community Centre be built?
Our immediate priority is completing RIBA Stage 4 and securing the major funding package required for construction.
Our ambition remains to begin construction as soon as funding and procurement allow.
There is also a cost to delay. Construction prices can continue to rise and the condition of the existing Village Hall is deteriorating. Trustees are therefore working hard to maintain momentum and move the project forward as quickly and responsibly as possible.
Significant milestones will be published on our News pages as they happen. Trustees regularly undertake project planning reviews and Risk Assessments. Our current time frames are –
- RIBA Stage 4 – Currently in progress
- Funding Applications – Currently in progress including Wealden District Council and The National Lottery “Reaching Communities Fund”
- Tendering Process – 2027
- Construction Start Date – 2027/2028
Will residents be expected to pay for the new Community Centre?
HDCC is an independent charity and has no statutory power to levy individual households.
Following the September 2025 Parish Poll held by the Parish Council, residents supported two measures that could provide approximately £500,000 towards the project: realising the value of the existing Village Hall site and a Public Works Loan Board loan of up to £250,000.
The HDCC Trustees’ task is to use this significant local commitment to help unlock the much larger external funding package required to deliver the project.
What will happen to the old Village Hall?
The existing Village Hall and land at Hut Lane are owned by Hadlow Down Parish Council. The Hall is leased to the Village Hall Trustees who run it on behalf of the community.
In the September 2025 Parish Poll, residents voted by 62% to 38% in favour of the Parish Council realising an economic value from the old Village Hall to help fund the new Community Centre.
No final decision has yet been made about the future of the site. The Parish Council has previously secured outline planning permission for three dwellings, helping to establish and protect its potential development value, but this does not mean that residential development or the sale of the site has been agreed.
The Parish Council has confirmed that any future decision to dispose of the old Village Hall would be subject to further community consultation, including a Parish Meeting and a further Parish Poll.
In the meantime, the existing Village Hall remains an important community facility and will continue to serve the village for as long as it is safe and practical to do so.
What will happen to the playground?
The playground is the responsibility of Hadlow Down Parish Council.
The intention is to relocate it away from the road and car park as part of the wider development of the site, creating a safer location with improved air quality.
HDCC will continue to work with the Parish Council on these plans.
Why is the new Community Centre bigger than the existing Village Hall?
The project is not about building an unnecessarily large Village Hall.
The new Community Centre brings together the functions currently provided by two separate and inadequate buildings – the Village Hall and Sports Pavilion – into one carefully designed community facility.
Much of the additional space is required to provide facilities our existing buildings simply cannot accommodate adequately: accessible toilets and changing facilities, storage, circulation space, kitchen facilities, safeguarding requirements and flexible community spaces.
The main hall itself has been designed to be more flexible and usable, rather than simply bigger.
Who will use the new Community Centre?
The Centre is being designed for everyone.
It will support existing village organisations as well as allowing new activities to develop.
Potential uses include community events and celebrations, drama and performance, badminton and other indoor sports, fitness and exercise classes, dance, martial arts, short mat bowls, meetings and clubs, children’s activities, older people’s groups, wellbeing initiatives, community lunches and informal opportunities to meet.
The improved sporting facilities will also support cricket, football and other Playing Field users.
Most importantly, the building will be genuinely accessible so that age or disability should not prevent someone from participating in community life.
Will the new Community Centre be accessible?
Yes. Inclusive access has been fundamental to the design.
The new Community Centre will provide step-free access and modern accessible facilities in accordance with current Building Regulations and equality requirements.
These will include accessible entrances and pathways, accessible toilets and appropriate changing and sporting facilities.
This represents a very significant improvement on both the existing Village Hall and Sports Pavilion.
How many parking spaces will there be?
The plans provide for approximately 43 parking spaces, together with secure cycle storage and pram storage.
This is a substantial improvement on the very restricted parking available at the existing Village Hall.
How much will it cost to hire the new facilities?
Final hire charges have not yet been set.
HDCC’s Business Plan assumes that charges will need to be affordable and competitive with comparable community facilities, while generating sufficient income to operate and maintain the building sustainably.
We expect different rates to be available for regular community groups and other users, with the final charging structure agreed and published before the Centre opens.
Does HDCC have a Business Plan?
Yes.
HDCC maintains a detailed Business Plan and financial model for the future operation of the Community Centre.
These are reviewed as the project develops and as construction costs, funding arrangements and projected operating costs are refined.
Updated project documents will be published through our Documents and News pages.
Who are HDCC?
Hadlow Down Community Centre (HDCC) is a registered Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO), charity number 1158375, established to deliver and ultimately operate the new Community Centre for the benefit of Hadlow Down and the wider community.
HDCC is governed by volunteer Trustees who are legally responsible for the charity and the project.
You can find out more about our Trustees on our About Us page.
Is HDCC part of Hadlow Down Parish Council?
No. HDCC is an independent registered charity.
It was originally formed at the request of Hadlow Down Parish Council, and the two organisations work closely together, but HDCC Trustees are responsible for the charity and its decisions.
The Parish Council Advisory Committee provides an important forum for liaison, information sharing and discussion of project progress between Parish Councillors, HDCC Trustees, Playing Field representatives and members of the community.
When is the next HDCC AGM?
Our most recent AGM was held in February 2026.
Details of future AGMs will be published on the Village Website and through our News pages.
How can I help right now?
Our immediate priority is raising the remaining funding for RIBA Stage 4.
Every donation brings us closer to commissioning the technical package that will allow us to move towards tender and strengthen our applications for major construction funding.
You can donate through our JustGiving page or directly to HDCC by bank transfer.
If you donate through JustGiving and are eligible for Gift Aid, please tick the Gift Aid box. JustGiving will then arrange for the additional Gift Aid to be claimed on our behalf.
If you donate directly by bank transfer, please consider completing our Gift Aid Declaration so that HDCC can claim an additional 25p for every £1 donated, where eligible.
You can find our current donation details, Gift Aid information and JustGiving link on this website.
If you are considering making a significant donation and would like to talk to one of our Trustees about the project first, please contact Lally Drake at lally@jdoglobal.com, who will be very happy to arrange a conversation.
And please keep visiting our News pages. We will be reporting our progress as the Stage 4 campaign and wider funding programme move forward.
Thank you for supporting the future of Hadlow Down’s community facilities.
