At their meeting on 18th March 2021, the Town Council resolved to bid for the purchase of the Old NatWest Bank in the Market Square.
The Town Council has been looking for a suitable property to develop a Community Hub for the town; a facility from where the Town Council can work with partners to provide services to the local community, exactly what could be provided is subject to public consultation, however they could include services such as tourist office, family services, pop up museum, health and wellbeing services, with the potential to develop new services in response to changing community needs. This was a key priority for the Town Council following the community consultations which took place whilst the Town’s Neighbourhood Plan was being produced.
There is also a need to relocate the Town Council’s office from the current first floor unit in the Old Bakery to an accessible building where all the Town’s residents can visit us when they need to or if they would like to attend any of our monthly committee meetings.
We need your view on whether the Town Council should proceed with the purchase of the Old NatWest bank and if you would support our application for a £600,000 loan from the Public Works Loan Board to fund the purchase and the necessary improvements to the building. At this very early stage we are asking for your views on whether you support the project and if so, whether you support the financing of the purchase through a loan which would result in a 30p a week increase to the precept on a band D property in the parish of Petworth.
Should the Town Council proceed with the purchase, a more detailed consultation will follow in due course whereby we will invite residents’ views on the services and opportunities that could be provided from the Community Hub.
Please tell us your views by completing the very short survey.
If you have any questions, please call us on 01798 344883 or email clerk@petworth-tc.gov.uk