Villagers who were left disappointed at the loss of their meeting place five years ago have taken matters into their own hands.

Residents of Painters Forstal have been busy fundraising for the last three years in a bid to build their very own village hall after they were forced to stop using the Champion Hall, also known as the Whitehill Methodist Chapel.

The hall in Eastling Road was declared surplus to requirements by the Methodist Church in 2014 and sold in 2017 - despite the best efforts of the community to buy it.

Villagers said they felt “betrayed” by the church after raising £70,000 to buy their cherished hall back – only for a decision to be made to sell it to the Anglican Catholic Church.

Members of the Painters Forstal Community Association (PFCA) - a registered charity steering the project - have now submitted a planning application to Swale Borough Council for a new hall in Painters Forstal Road and hope that construction will begin later this year.

The hall, designed by Nigel Brown of Red House Design, will benefit from 12 parking bays, including two disabled spaces.

Professor Ben Bennett, chairman of PFCA, said: “This is an important milestone for us on our pathway to making the new hall a reality.

“It was a massive blow to the community to lose the Whitehill Chapel, as this was the focus of community life.

“Having a new hall will be fantastic and provide so many opportunities for the community to come together.”

Through fundraising events - including quiz nights at The Alma - and from donations, £30,000 has already been contributed to the project.

“We have been overwhelmed by the support from the community we have received as the project has progressed,” Professor Bennett added.

“It was a massive blow to the community to lose the Whitehill Chapel, as this was the focus of community life..." - Ben Bennett

“We have generously been donated an area of land that is in the perfect location for the hall, and we have undertaken extensive community consultations to understand what residents want from a new hall.

“The hall has been designed to provide a flexible space that can be used for both small and larger events. It will also provide a drop-in centre for people to come and just chat and have a cup of coffee.”

PFCA plans to plough on with fundraising efforts, with more money needed to start construction once plans have been given the green light from the council.

A decision from the authority is due mid-February.

To view the application, use reference 19/506038/REM on SBC’s planning website.

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