Village hall to be one of greenest in Britain

A village hall is to become one of the greenest in the country by being powered by three forms of renewable energy technology.

Beechwood Hall, in Cooksbridge, will be virtually carbon neutral, powered by heat and light generated by the sun, along with the wind and geothermal energy.

A solar panel on the south-facing roof will provide hot water and a 45ft wind turbine will run a ground source heat pump, which uses heat from the sun trapped 15ft below ground, to provide underfloor heating in the hall.

The renewable technology will generate 26,000kWh of electricity each year, saving the emission of more than 11 tonnes of carbon dioxide annually.

Funding for the renewable energy project came from the EDF Energy Green Fund, which provided £20,000, and the Government's Low Carbon Buildings Programme, which handed over £18,700.

The new village hall was built on the site of an old sports pavilion on land left to the parish in 1944 by the Shrivener family. It has been clad in local chestnut timber and insulated with local sheep wool.

EDF Energy's support was part of a £213,000 new village hall project backed by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, waste disposal companies Biffaward and Viridor and the local community.

Peter Mitchell, the chairman of trustees for the village hall project, said: "We wanted to support new renewable forms of energy. It is sending an important message to everybody about where our priorities lie.

"I think the locals will be surprised when they see the hall because their memories are of a gloomy cricket pavilion and it has been completely rebuilt.

"It has been transformed into a building which is light and airy and enjoys beautiful views over the South Downs."

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