Mid Sussex District Council is working in partnership with Hurstpierpoint Parish Council to create a new community hub for local people.
The former Ex Servicemen’s Club at Court Bushes Recreation Ground in Hurstpierpoint has been empty since December 2017, and later that month a serious fire destroyed the interior of the building.
The District and Parish Councils are working together to bring this building back into use as a community facility for local events, and building work is set to get under way shortly.
The new community building will be a flexible space that can be used in different ways by local community groups.
A large hall area will be available for social functions like wedding receptions and birthday parties, as a space for social groups to meet or as a venue for positive activities like exercise classes. An area will be provided for community meetings to be held, and it is hoped that a nursery provider will use the space to provide local childcare for nearby families.
Storage has been set aside to enable a Foodbank to be run from the building, and the ex-servicemen, who built the original building, will be able to relax and socialise in a new bar area.
The new facility will be built by Mid Sussex District Council before it is handed over to Hurstpierpoint Parish Council to manage on behalf of the local community.
Work started in August to strip out the interior of the building and prepare the site for renovation. Building work will start this month, and the new community hub is expected to be completed by the end of December 2018.
Councillor Colin Trumble, Mid Sussex District Council Member for Hurstpierpoint and Downs, added: “It’s wonderful to see the District Council, Parish Council, Ex-Servicemen, Clarion Housing and local community groups all working together to make this dream a reality.”