Gregson Lane and Coupe Green village hall dream set to become a reality by spring

The long-awaited community space for the Gregson Lane and Coupe Green area of South Ribble has cleared its final hurdle after being granted permission by the borough council’s planning committee.

The authority helped make the villagers’ vision a reality earlier this year when it agreed to provide the Gregson Green charity with a £300,000 grant to power them across their fundraising finishing line.

At the time, deputy council leader Mick Titherington paid tribute to the “valiant” local cash-building effort over such a long period of time, but said that it was unlikely that the total amount needed would be reached in the foreseeable future without further help.

Gregson Green chair Jacqui Gibson said that it was a sad day when the current hall closed for the final time in October, but that it had long since passed its use-by date.

“I don't know how it survived so long,” she said of the structure that had stood on the Gregson Lane plot since the 1960s.

Now, however, all eyes are on a yet-to-be-confirmed date - possibly just after Easter - when the replacement building will open its doors. But rather than being built brick-by-brick, the largely pre-constructed unit will appear in an almost blink-and-you'll-miss-it moment.

“It will arrive on the back of a lorry and be craned into place,” Jacqui explains.

“The floor and the ceiling will be in one piece and then it will all be put together. Things like the toilets will have to be concreted in.

“”We’re expecting a lot of people will want to come down and watch it being done.”

While the community is without the focal point that has been at its heart for so many years, the many groups that use it have decamped to the area’s Methodist church.

However, they will all be back to take advantage of the new purpose-built facility which will better meet their needs. The hall will also once again host the birthday parties and other gatherings that it has traditionally staged.

At the South Ribble planning committee meeting where approval was granted for the new building, committee members Chris Lomax and Barrie Yayes praised the hard work of locals who had never given up in their efforts to get the new hall off the ground.

“It’s been a long time coming...[so] let’s just get on and get it built,” Cllr Lomax said.

Meanwhile, it seems that the residents have become rather addicted to fundraising - and will now plough their efforts into helping other local charities.

“The village has got used to all the community events we have hosted, so we will carry on doing those,” Jacqui said.

And with a fundraising pedigree like theirs, they are unlikely to be short of takers who would welcome their support.