A Botley community hall may get a new lease of life after the failure of a major redevelopment scheme that would have replaced it.

North Hinksey Parish Council is to employ a chartered surveyor to carry out a structural audit of Seacourt Hall to identify works or repairs needed.

It comes after a £100m plan to flatten the hall and surrounding West Way buildings for a supermarket, cinema, hotel, homes and shops were rejected.

Parish council chairman Andrew Pritchard said: “We have to be prepared for what the future might bring us.

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“We are taking sensible steps.

“It’s not desperately urgent but there are things which need to be looked at; it could do with being redecorated. There have been issues with the roof leaking.

“Although these are not current, it’s something we have to consider.”

Developers Doric and Mace want to demolish the hall and put an almost 50 per cent bigger £600,000 replacement on the ground floor of a new block.

Developers also want to demolish Field House sheltered housing, Elms Parade and surrounding shops.

Mr Pritchard said of possible renovation work: “If West Way were to go ahead it would be pointless, but there are big questions about it.

“We have to consider what might happen if it doesn’t go ahead, we could be occupying Seacourt Hall for a number more years.

“Certain aspects of the design could be improved, it’s not an ideal hall for use as a parish hall.”

Vale of White Horse District Council’s planning committee rejected the plans last month.

The district council owns the hall and leases it to the parish council, which formally objected to the redevelopment.

Developers have appealed to the Planning Inspectorate and the deadline for public views expired yesterday. Interested parties could have a further five weeks to comment should a request for appeal be granted.

No decision date has been given.

West Way Community Concern chairman Chris Church which opposed the plans, said: “It’s clear that while we want redevelopment it’s going to take time.

“We want to urgently get Botley looking more attractive.

“There are ways to improve Seacourt Hall that won’t cost a fortune. We want a better hall but what Doric were offering was not better.”

Doric did not respond to a request a for a comment.


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