After speaking to the Rector, the Revd Richard Watson, the Barnet Times have published this brief online article today. The article doesn’t mention the fact that the Sunflower Montessori Nursery (the main users of the hall) have already found new premises. The article follows below:
East Barnet church faces losing century-old hall in need of £300,000 repairs
A VICAR has admitted a century-old church hall could be sold off as it needs more than £300,000 worth of repairs to bring it up to scratch.
Users of the St Mary the Virgin hall in Church Hill Road, East Barnet, have been told they face eviction from the premises by the autumn after a boiler which runs the heating broke down.
However, Reverend Richard Watson said it now faced an uncertain future as there is a lot of remedial work needed to bring it “up to scratch”.
He told the Times Series: “Because of the prohibitive costs of fixing the boiler and the amount of remedial work which needs doing we decided desist lettings.
“We’re seeking special advice as to the way forward as the premises are not used very often by the church unless there is a big event as they are half a mile away.
“It’s too early to say what the way forward is going to be. The hall was originally built for Sunday school and church related activities, but it is a long way from the church itself.”
One possibility is to sell the hall to a developer or t raise the cash to refurbish the facility themselves.
Rev Watson added: “The hall needs in excess of £300,000 spent on it, that’s a lot of money for a building that’s obviously not fit for purpose.
“We could pour money into it but it still would not be in the right place. The church is concerned with how we make provisions for the future.”
Click to read the article on the Barnet Times website.
The article that appears in today’s paper takes a slightly different angle, and also omits the information on the Nursery’s relocation. A scanned copy of the article is reproduced below.
