Operation 'Renovation'
Starting the journey to renovate Molehill Green Village Hall in to Molehill Green Community Hub
Molehill Green Village
Demography
Molehill Green is a hamlet with a population of 170 as off 2024, however ever growing. From 2018 approximately 20 buildings have been developed and it is expected that an additional 4-10 houses are likely to be developed in the next 2/3 years. Molehill Green is part of the Takeley district which has a population of 7500. Molehill Green is approximately 2 miles from Takeley and therefore is accessible to Takeley residents and the wider Uttlesford Community.
Molehill Green as a hamlet has an extremely diverse population. The hamlet has 2 children’s homes, a number of temporary and council accommodation, as well as rented and purchased household. The age range of the hamlet also varies from young to old, single households to families, yet the hamlet does not have one community asset available to use.
Molehill Green has a public house that is closed for refurbishment until further notice and a cricket ground used for the local Cricket Associations in Uttlesford. There is not one community asset available for the whole community. Molehill Green Village Hall is the only opportunity and location in the hamlet to have place for the community.
The Journey So Far
The Building and Grounds
The building has and still requires significant work to enable us to open the village hall to the residents. Over the last 4 years the trusts have worked tirelessly to obtain funding to make improvements and have worked to get the community involved in maintaining the grounds and helping with tasks as and when required.
In 2021 the trustees commissioned an architect to develop plans for the village hall and grounds and support discussions to renovate the village hall in a community hub.
Over the last 4 years, the trustees have worked on the principle that as we upgrade the building and grounds we try and ensure that it sets the foundation of the building to reduce longer term issues. To date the following developments have been made:
- A structural surveyor: to assess the foundations of building structure and make recommendations.
- A tree surgeon: to assess our grounds and to remove any potential ground disturbance that could impact the building structure.
- Fix external structure: to fix the external roof tiles to repoint the external building bricks.
- Internal structure: replace the internal roof, knocking down internal walls to open up the building and remove all internal items.
- Fix our foundations and flooring: to replace and level the floor joists and flooring.
- Temporary Electrics and plumber: temporary electrics and water connected as a short-term fix until funding is secured.
