OAKWORTH Community Trust have outlined the full extent of their £150,000 plans to transform the former Holden Hall.

The trust recently secured the £35,000 it needed to build a ground-floor extension with storage facilities for user groups and an additional emergency exit.

This is only the first of several improvements planned for the 1970s building, now called Oakworth Village Hall and run by a thriving group of volunteers.

Trust chairman Robert Payne told the Keighley News that planning permission was granted last year for the whole project, but each of the four phases would be carried out separately.

Mr Payne said: “We have big plans, but we’re doing it in bite-sized chunks. We will carry out each phase as we get the money.”

The most ambitious change will be to create a lounge bar running along the length of the building with a large window overlooking the Worth Valley.

The existing toilets will be refurbished, and the ladies will be moved the ladies to the foyer area.

The trust will also create a utility room, and an on-site laundry for items such as tablecloths that are heavily used for functions in the building

Unpopular window alcoves in the main hall will be removed so that the windows are flush with the rest of the wall.

The exterior of the building, alongside Colne Road, will be remodelled to add two disabled parking spots to the existing parking spaces. They will be new steps by the telephone box to create a fire exit.

Other plans include an exterior courtyard with a glass canopy next to the new bar, and solar panels on the roof to provide 35 kW of power.

Mr Payne believes the planned Mechanics Bar – to be named after the Mechanics Institute that originally stood on the site – will become well-used. Its entrance will be from the existing foyer.

Existing rooms in the building have already been renamed, using locally-known locations such as Lidget and Providence. The main hall has been named the Holden Hall, which was the original name of the whole building.

Oakworth Village Trust has about 60 members, and the hall itself has 12 duty managers, all volunteers, who carry out their duties on a rota.

Mr Payne said the building was available for a wide range of parties, functions and meetings as well as regular groups.

He added: “We can have up to three groups in the building at the time, and this does happen.

“We’ve had businesses renting the building for the day for activities such as sales talks. We’ve partnered with Oakworth’s Sewing Days Café to provide catering.”

Visit oakworthcommunitytrust.org.uk the Facebook page Oakworth Village Hall for further information.