A Powys border village is to get a new hall. The Memorial Hall, a former First World War army barracks, has served Bucknell, near Knighton since 1922 after being built by local joiners. However, the building does not meet modern standards, is expensive to run and very difficult to maintain.
There are also many site constraints preventing any future development due to it sitting between St Mary’s CofE Primary School and the extension of the church’s graveyard. Planning approval was granted for a new village hall in 2011. The scheme was never implemented though, and the existing memorial hall has continued to be used.
However, Bedstone and Bucknell Parish Council has found a new site in Daffodil Lane, opposite the village playing field. “The relocation to Daffodil Lane therefore encourages further use of the existing facilities and flexibility in terms of scale, placement and positioning of the scheme – something the existing Memorial Hall site does not offer,” reads a design and access statement submitted by Prince Architects. “The fundamental principle of the development is to provide a multi functional, flexible space to sustain Bucknell’s growing population.
The new village hall will provide additional accommodation (e.g. a secondary hall, office/commercial spaces, a less formal sitting area and formally landscaped outdoor areas) that the current Memorial Hall simply cannot provide.
” The proposal gained a mixed view of responses, with 20 people supporting it.