Uddingston village hall to close pending a decision about its future

Dec 2 2010 by Alastair McNeill, Hamilton Advertiser

UDDINGSTON’S Village Hall is to close while discussions take place about its future.

It shut its doors this week following a health and safety inspection and attempts are being made to find alternative accommodation for organisations who use the facility.

The Uddingston Village Hall steering committee – made up of organisations who use the hall and village councillor Jim McGuigan – are still looking to secure the long-term future of the hall.

The committee is expected to hold a meeting with council officials in January, when it will present a ‘business plan’ for the hall.

“The council want to see what we are proposing,” Mr McGuigan said this week.

“We have put together a business plan which contains a number of proposals to move things forward.

“The hall is closing until the matter is resolved.

“We could take ownership of the hall for a nominal fee and run it as a hall. There would be a clause in the agreement between the council and ourselves that they can take ownership back in the future if the committee running the hall was to disband.

“If the council sell it at the moment, they are not going to get a good price for it as the market stands.

“The hall could also be run as a trust. We would apply for charitable status.

“We’ve also identified a number of sources of funding to run the hall and carry out the necessary improvements.”

A campaign to save the hall began earlier this year after a council survey revealed the facility needed £215,000-worth of repairs.

The hall’s future had been called into question, with one source claiming the facility – which is used by Uddingston Pipe Band, mothers and toddlers groups and dance classes – as “past its best.”

It was also suggested that demolishing the hall and putting up houses on the site was a possibility.

However, Uddingston Disabled Sports and Social Club, who used the hall on Monday evenings, petitioned villagers and collected 1,000 signatures in favour of keeping the hall open.

An anonymous supporter also stepped in with a £50,000 donation.

Mr McGuigan added that the hall, unlike similar village facilities, had a stage and was therefore a great a asset.

He said: “It is a tremendous facility for the people of Uddingston and is worth saving.”

A South Lanarkshire Council spokesperson said this week: “Uddingston Public Hall was closed following a health and safety inspection which highlighted a number of issues therein.

“It will remain closed whilst the long-term future of the facility is considered.

“In the meantime, South Lanarkshire Leisure and Culture has been working with the existing lets to assist in finding suitable alternative accommodation.”