{"id":102,"date":"2024-07-06T02:46:31","date_gmt":"2024-07-06T01:46:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mulbartonvh.org\/?p=102"},"modified":"2026-03-26T09:44:54","modified_gmt":"2026-03-26T09:44:54","slug":"4-conveyance-1985","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mulbartonvh.uk\/?p=102","title":{"rendered":"04. Conveyance 1985"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Purchase of New Site<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In December 1985, Mulbarton Parish Council purchased the 2.56-acre site on which the present village hall was later built. The contract of sale and conveyance name the Parish Council as purchaser and legal title holder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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1985 Conveyance Document<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\"1985<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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1985 Contract of Sale<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\"1985<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

At the time of this purchase, the Village Hall charity was still operating from the Old School site, and the process of planning a replacement hall was ongoing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Funding the New Hall<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In 1983, residents were asked to vote in a parish referendum on whether to significantly increase the parish precept to fund a new village hall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The proposal was to increase the precept from approximately 2p per household per day to around 5p per household per day \u2014 an increase of around 250%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Approximately a quarter of residents participated in the vote, with over 97% voting in favour. This provided a substantial and ongoing funding stream, raised specifically for the purpose of delivering a new village hall for the parish. These funds were then used by the Parish Council in the years that followed, including to purchase the 1985 site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When construction was complete, the Charity had been so successful at self-funding the \u00a3350,000 build, there was \u00a330,000 of precept-generated income left over. The Parish Council re-directed this to other projects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Early Planning and Governance Discussions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

By 1982, discussions were already underway about the future of the existing hall and the possibility of building a new facility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In correspondence from that year, the parish clerk provided the Village Hall management committee with copies of communication with the Charity Commission and noted that a steering committee was to be formed, including parish councillors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"1982<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Steering group records from 1986 show that key questions about governance and ownership were being actively considered during the planning phase.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Minutes from February 1986 record:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cThe proposed new centre must have charitable status, and the Charity Commissioners to be contacted about the sale of the existing Village Hall.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

A memorandum from the same period raises the need for clarity about roles and ownership:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cIt is most important to be clear on the relative status of the Village Hall and the Parish Council\u2026 one must be clear that the titular owners of the Community Centre would be the Trustees of the Village Hall.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Another memorandum warns the Parish Council of potential legal difficulty, regarding the plan to invest the proceeds of sale from the existing charity property:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201c\u2026you may be relying on a sum of money to which you have no legal right.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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1986 Fullscreen Steering Group Memos<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

These records show that charitable status, ownership, and the relationship between the Parish Council and the Village Hall charity were recognised as important issues before the new hall was built.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Funding Structure and VAT<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Correspondence from 1980 onwards shows that Parish Council funding and VAT recovery were part of the developing approach to village hall provision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Letters from 1980 record that:<\/p>\n\n\n\n