PETERSFIELD United Reformed Church unveiled plans for a £650,000 family centre to East Hampshire district councillors on Tuesday evening. Outlining the plans to expand the URC's work for the people of Petersfield, the Rev Peter Norris told councillors the current facilities in College Street were no longer big enough to cope with the huge numbers of people using the church, particularly mothers and children who used the present hall every week. After showing councillors and members of the public the proposals, he told them: "What you see here is a resource for the whole of our community and we hope you will buy into it as well." Members of the Petersfield and Liss Community Forum said they were impressed with the level of financial commitment shown by members of the church. They have already given nearly £340,000 to the project and promised a further £90,000 interest free loan when it went £85,000 over budget. And on Tuesday night councillors recommended that the church should receive a £15,000 grant from EHDC's Community Initiative Fund. The application will now be decided by EHDC'S Cabinet members. The church is planning to replace its current small church hall behind the church building in College Street with a new, specially designed building. The forum heard that young families, older people and people with disabilities had expressed an interest in using the hall in addition to its use for church activities. The last feasibility study of the existing premises in 2003 showed that it would not comply with the Disability Discrimination Act, the kitchen and toilet extension built in the l950s was in an unusable condition, and the 19th-century hall was limited in its size and ability to extend. Mr Norris told the meeting around 150 mothers and chidlren used the hall on a weekly basis. "I am Chaplain of Petersfield Hospital, and a founding director of the Kings Arms," said Mr Norris, "and the Petersfield United Reformed Church has always been very involved within the community of Petersfield." He said the church wanted to do more in the community and expand its work. For example, he told councillors, volunteers had identified a need to help those who suffered with dementia and thier carers, and the Stroke Dependency group at Liss was struggling to find a new home.
