The Welney WebsiteThe William Marshall Centrepage created Aug 2019; last updated Tuesday, 10 September 2019 |
The Welney WebsiteThe William Marshall Centrepage created Aug 2019; last updated Tuesday, 10 September 2019 |
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IntroductionThe William Marshall Centre is Welney's multi-use community centre, replacing two decrepit buildings, the old Parish Hall on Bedford Bank, and the Pavilion that stood on this site. Above as seen by the Website's roving pigeon in late July 2016. The addtion of a large paved area with benches along the field side has enhanced its appearance and functionalty and a tarmaced car parking area with low railings between it and the field has completed the project to provide Welney with a superb community centre, sports hall and Pavilion for the next 30 or more years. |
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Commissioning, Oct-Dec 2015Unfortunately the Councillors responsible for commissioning the building in Dec 2015 spoilt it in so many ways by making changes to the specification which are not apparent to many users and residents. Those who have strugggled to get the problems dealt with - or at least acknowledged - have been branded trouble makers or whingers. They are not.There are two major problems, lack of adequate foundations, and expensive and inefficient heating. The former has already caused damge to the building and rectified by the maker under the guarantee. In 2026 that guarantee will expire and repairs will have to be paid for. The latter means that the annual expenses have already increased significently. These aspects are covered in detail below (see menu on left). A smaller issue that many users have complained of is the short worktop and limited space under it preventing installation of a dish washer. My proposal back in 2014, as published in the Welney News, was for the door to be in the end not front of the kitchen. Had Cllrs Bombata and Goodger not made their vindictive decision to "remove" me from the advisors to the Building Committee the worktop would have been 4'6" (1337mm) longer with space for more appliances under it. The Council Chairman at the time of the commissioning has repeatedly blamed the Action Team for the problems despite much evidence to the contrary. Even one of his New Building Committee members, Cllr Gilbert, resigned in protect at the Chairman's refusal to listen. See letter below published in the Welney News issue 113, Oct/Nov 2016. . |
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Delivery and Erection, Apr 2016 |
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Steps, ramps, veranda and skirtThe ramp and veranda were needed because the Environment Agency (EA) stiplulated that the floor level should be 0.5m (20") above ground as the area is shown on EA maps as being potentially liable to flood |
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Patio |
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ParkingA smart tarmaced parking area with 22 marked spaces plus two for disabled users |
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InsideThe double-door entrance lobby (bottom) faces towards March Road. It limits cold air entering the building in winter and lessens noise disturbance to neighbours. The later is a requirement of planning permission. The building is designed to enable sports players to use the changing roms whilst the main hall can be used for another purpose. The steps on right lead onto the field. |
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Official opening, 25th Jun 2016Bedecked in bunting the grand opening was performed by Mr John Gilbert (below centre) Chairman of Marshalls Charity which had donated £127,000 to the project. Among the throng were District Councillors Spikings and Pope, Parish Councillors Goodger (Chair) on left, Rainbird and Bombata, the Parish Clerk and the Editor of the Welney News, Derek Levesley and about 20 others including several children. |
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Problems and DisputesThe originally planned low running cost heating system was ditched for a very expensive and inefficient one; and the foundations which should have been sunk down into the fen soil at least to 450mm (and possibly more) were dispensed with and much of the building is supported on garden paving slabs laid directly of the grass. The latter have been proven to be inadequate and non-compliant with Building regulations, yet the Commisioning group fail to accept there is anything wrong. |
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Foundations - or lack of!Two important documents in the matter of the foundations are available here in PDF format, a report by structural engineers John Watson and Partners, and a response from CIRCAIR upholding a parishioners complaint that the Building Inspection company Assent issued a "Final Certificate" when they should not have done so and that the foundations are indeed non-compliant. |
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Green heating - or lack of!Unfortunately the very effcient and economical heating system planned by the Action team was replaced by the Council's New Building Committee by an air conditioning system which only heats the main hall leaving the the corridors, WCs and changing rooms unheated, bar some tiny low-wattage tubes. They were fitted to prevent pipes freezing but they didn't prevent it happening in a very cold spell.One user group has to leave the door from the hall to the corridor open to try to warm that area up. Other users have spoken of slippery floors due to condensation caused by the different temperatures. If that wasn't bad enough, the Council has now received a huge bill said to be in excess of £2,000 for the 2018-19 winter period. Not only does this make winter use uncomfortable and expensive, it also makes marketing the building rather difficult. |
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Management - or lack of! |
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One roof or two? |
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Legal adviceIn September 2019 it is expected that the new Council under Chairman Cllr John Loveday will initiate legal proceedings against the manufacturers, Martin Reynolds Construction ('MRC') of Barroway Drove near Downham Market, Nofolk. |
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Acknowledgements:
Sources as noted.
Text, design and layout: Peter Cox © 2014-2019 Welney Website |
We'll be adding much more to this page soon, both the good, the bad and the downright ugly, following the story from where we left off on the "nearly there" page |
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