Information regarding Melvich Village Hall

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Our local community needs a fit for purpose community hub that is suitable for the current and reasonably foreseeable future needs of our community. The village hall had served the community well over for around 110 years however it was no longer suitable for use and it is time for a new facility. The old hall has been demolished and you can view a video of this demolition project here. 

More information on the options assessment that was performed to reach that decision is shown below along with a structural condition report on the former Melvich Village Hall. Melvich Community SCIO are in the process of implementing the recommendations from the options assessment report and this involves the demolition of the former village hall, acquisition of adjacent land and designing/building a replacement community hub building. 

We need a fit for purpose community hub and we will be working towards getting a new facility in place in a systematic manner. We have purchased the adjacent land required for our new community hub and we are now working through the various RIBA Stages to design/build the facility. A pre-planning advice application was submitted to the Highland Council in December 2022 as part of our RIBA Stage 1 feasibility work. We expect to hear back from the Highland Council in late February 2023 and we will then move forward based on the advice received.

Significant grant funding and local fundraising will be required to make this happen. Please support us with your time, your thoughts, spreading the word in social media, supporting fund raising activities and giving / encouraging donations. 

Our blog will give you all of the information on the latest developments. 

Once we have a new community facility constructed then we will have more information hosted on this page about the facilities available and you will be able to book online for use of the facilities.

An options assessment had been performed on the future of the Melvich Village Hall in Q1 of 2021. This report has formed the basis for the decisions of how the trustees of Melvich Village Hall Association (MVHA), and subsequently Melvich Community SCIO, were to move forward with addressing the communities needs and delivering our charitable object.

The Options Assessment Report concluded that “As a result of this multi attribute decision analysis, it is recommended that MVHA (and Melvich Community SCIO once formed) start to implement option H which is to Knock down the existing hall, acquire adjacent land and build a replacement hall on the new footprint.”  Click here to access a copy of the options assessment report. 

In order to inform the options assessment process an independent structural engineering consulting company (Arch Henderson LLP) were contracted to provide a structural condition report for the trustees of Melvich Village Hall Association. This work was funded by a grant from the SSE Strathy North Windfarm.

The structural condition report concluded that "The building is in a poor physical condition and it requires an extensive scheme  of refurbishments to restore the building to modern acceptable building  standards. 

Given the significant age of the building and the considerable extent of the  defects, consideration should be given to a new-build rather than a  refurbishment. The existing building footprint may not be most conducive to a modern layout and it is believed that there may be significant advantages to be  gained from a new site location, including an improved internal layout and an increased set-back from the A836."

Click here to access a copy of the structural condition report.

In order to inform the options assessment process an up to date independent asbestos management report was produced for Melvich Village Hall Association by Highland Asbestos Services in October 2020. This work was funded by a grant from the SSE Strathy North Windfarm.

The asbestos management report identified that the roof is made of Chrysotile type asbestos and it stated "Removal of asbestos containing  materials is recommended."

Click here to access a copy of the asbestos management report.