New community centre opened in Pease Pottage
Horsham MP Jeremy Quin was guest of honour at the official opening of a brand new community building at Finches Field in Pease Pottage on Saturday 1 June 2019.
The purpose built facility will provide Pease Pottage with a focal point for community activities and support the sport and play activities that are provided at Finches Field.
The new community centre is the ideal place for village fetes and is well suited as a venue for special occasions like wedding receptions and birthday parties. It can be used as a place for social groups to meet, as a venue for positive activities like exercise classes or simply as a venue for community meetings.
Finches Field is a popular location for sport so the new community centre has showers, toilets and changing facilities for sports teams to use. There is a separate shower and toilet for the referee and the changing rooms have their own entrance so that they can be used even when the main building is closed.
The main social area has capacity for 100 standing guests and seating for 50 to dine in comfort. The hall is serviced by a fully fitted kitchenette with ceramic hob, oven, fridge freezer, and an instant hot water dispenser for making teas and coffees.
There’s a private meeting room for small gatherings and office space for Slaugham Parish Council officers to use while managing the building on behalf of the community. Storage space is also provided for chairs, collapsible tables and other equipment.
Mid Sussex District Council allocated more than £675,000 in Section 106 development contributions and donated a further £111,145 of council funds to finance the development of the new facility. The construction and management of the new community centre has been undertaken entirely by Slaugham Parish Council.
Councillor Andrew MacNaughton, Mid Sussex District Council Cabinet Member for Housing and Planning and Member of Slaugham Parish Council said:
“This is a wonderful facility for the village of Pease Pottage and I’m sure it’s going to be very well used by the local community.
“I have huge admiration for Slaugham Parish Council for taking on a project of this size and overseeing all of the work, from initial concept designs right through to construction. I know that a lot of people have worked extremely hard to make this dream into a reality and the end result really is something to be proud of.
“This fantastic building shows what can be achieved when local councils work together in partnership and create something special. I’m really looking forward to seeing people make use of these excellent facilities and I hope this place will be the thriving heart of our community for many years to come.”