Time is called on use of village hall

IT is more than 70 years old and has served its small rural community well, but its days are now numbered.

The much-loved, corrugated-iron roofed village hall at Armadale is to be demolished and a new hall built within the next year. It is hoped the new structure will serve as a hub for the village, providing new facilities to bring in tourists and a meeting place for locals.

Behind the project is a new hall committee, formed in February this year. Members have secured funding totalling £340,000 from Leader and SSE Strathy North.

The committee was initially keen to refurbish the existing hall, which comprises one large room with toilets and a small kitchen, but investigations revealed that the building's floor was not fit for purpose.

Plans have now been drawn up for a new, energy-efficient hall, big enough to seat 100 people and with a large, modern kitchen plus showers and toilet facilities as well as a waste disposal facility for motor homes and camper vans and a charging point for electric cars.

Joyce Campbell said: "There is nothing in Armadale just now and people don't stop here. We want a facility that we can expand and grow and make it a real focal point. We are keen to have the hall open during the day and to encourage visitors to use it."

The committee is hoping to salvage as much as possible from the old hall for reuse in the new building – particularly the pine linings. A local artist is keen to make something out of the corrugated roof sheeting.

Negotiations are also ongoing to buy a small piece of land adjacent to the hall in order to extend the existing car park. An outside seating area is to be created.

The project is now at the planning stage and, under the terms of the Leader grant aid, must be delivered within a year.

Ms Campbell said: "We just need to press on now."