Town hall could be redeveloped under new parish plan

The possibility of demolishing the dilapidated 1930s town hall, next to Waitrose, and rebuilding it, is now on the cards following the ratification of the Parish Plan by Beaconsfield Town Council last week.
The council is to hold an all day private meeting next month on the future of the building - which costs Beaconsfield council tax precept payers £75,000 a year to rent from South Bucks District Council yet is hardly used.
Two weeks ago the Advertiser reported how Beaconsfield businessman David Rolfe of Performance Films wants to refurbish the top two floors of the building and turn it into an entertainment venue with bar, stage and "green room" for celebrities; a plan which will also be discussed at the October meeting.
Councillor Richard Keith, chairman of the town council's finance and general works committee, said: "I want to open this up into a much wider debate. In the parish consultation people were saying they wanted more community facilities. Mr Rolfe would want all our (upstairs) space for the whole length of the lease and he would want first claim on the council chamber.
"That sounds very exciting, and but if people in Beacons field want community facilities we wouldn't be able to give it to them. On the other hand it would reduce the cost of running the town hall and we could keep the council tax precept lower, or we'd have more money and it would be easier to say yes when we've identified something good for the community .
"The question is, do people in Beaconsfield want to spend over £100,000 on just replacing the warn out parts of the town hall, or do they want to redevelop? There are ways of getting it paid for. For example we could have a smaller civic building and use the the space for something commercial to pay for it. There's a big lump of real estate there and it's not being used."
The parish plan for 2009 to 2014 says the council will liaise with SBDC over feasibility studies into the future of the town hall and then consult the public on any proposals.
Cllr Keith said he hoped the town council would hold a public meeting to find out what residents would like on the site before feasibility studies were done.
There was been a mixed reaction to a proposals for an entertainment venue by shoppers in the Waitrose car park.
Em Bertram, of Chalfont St Giles, said: "I wouldn't object if it's a high class venue and there are strict criteria."
A woman from Penn, who asked not to be named, said: "It would liven Beaconsfield up in a good way. It would be nice to have a rival to the Wycombe Swan. If you could see similar acts without having to go to Wycombe that would be a tremendous draw."