Work finally under way on community centre

CONSTRUCTION is under way on a long-awaited new community hall in Bishop’s Cleeve.

The new facility, which will be used for activities such as parties and classes, is located on Gotherington Lane and is expected to take approximately 12 months to complete.

The community hall was agreed as part of a planning condition on Vistry Group’s housing developments in the Gotherington Lane area of Bishop’s Cleeve. Officers from Tewkesbury Borough Council’s property, community, planning and legal teams have worked in partnership with Bishop’s Cleeve Parish Council and Vistry Group to ensure the community gets the best building possible, and members of the public were invited to submit their views.

Councillor Clare Softley, lead member for communities, said: “I’m delighted that construction has now begun on the long-awaited community hall in Bishop’s Cleeve. This is a major step forward and testament to highly successful collaboration between several groups, all of whom should be thanked for their hard work and commitment.

“This welcome facility is designed to fulfil the needs of the growing local community and I am certain that both individuals and groups will derive great benefit from it.”

Councillor Andrew Reece, ward member for Cleeve St Michael’s, said: “The provision of a community centre on Gotherington will offer the residents of Bishop’s Cleeve a marvellous opportunity to take part in various activities or simply to socialise.”

Councillor Wendy Hopkins, chair of Bishop’s Cleeve Parish Council, said the community centre was “very much-needed” and added: “The council looks forward to its completion so that the residents of Bishop’s Cleeve can have the use of a facility that they so rightly deserve.”

Supriya Ray, managing director for Vistry Group’s Cotswolds region, said the start of construction work was a “welcome milestone”.