Page 13 - Phonebox Magazine April 2010

THE UNITED REFORMED CHURCH NEWPORT PAGNELL
THE UNITED REFORMED Church, in Newport Pagnell High Street has today unveiled ambitious plans to transform a spacious derelict listed building on its site into a community resource for the whole town, and is sparking debate and interest in Newport Pagnell and beyond.
of volunteers has started to look at options on how the building could be used and is keen to hear from anyone in any sector of the community who has ideas. At this stage nothing is ruled in or out.
The immediate aim of the steering team is to review all the options put forward and to identify those which could be viable. The most promising of these will be investigated and researched including headline costs, potential grants or business partners to propose a sustainable business model for the venture. The completed proposal will be presented to the Church by the end of September. If a viable scheme emerges then a complete feasibility study will be produced with detailed planning and costing.
your ideas and voice heard, so that new life can be breathed into this historic building. The questionnaire is available from the Town Council offices at 80 High Street, through the growing Facebook group called “Newport Pagnell Youth Café” and via e-mail from: academygeoff@yahoo.co.uk. It will also be available from some shops and will be distributed to a number of organisations in the town – look out for the special poster. All surveys returned by 23rd April 2010 will be entered into a draw to win an i-POD.
The building, which has become known as the “Academy”, is in need of major refurbishment. It began life in 1702 as the original chapel on the site and was extended numerous times as the church grew. When the chapel was replaced by the current building in 1881, the building remained a key part of the church activities until the 1970s when it was leased to British Telecom (then the GPO!!). In recent years it has been used by a range of local businesses and community groups including carpet cleaning, venetian blind manufacturing, a gym and a community art studio.
Enthusiasm to find a use for the building is growing. Last autumn eighty people from the town attended a public meeting discussing a range of ideas for its use from an internet radio station, a music studio, even a youth project. Since then a small “steering” group
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Some key people in the town are behind the scheme. Milton Keynes Mayor and Newport Pagnell Councillor Euan Henderson said “I am thrilled to see the church offering the community such a prominent resource on the High Street. I am sure local people have lots of suggestions on how best to use it”. The steering group has produced a questionnaire to get
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Phonebox Magazine 13