Groundwork starts on new Madderty Village Hall

Mar 12 2010 by Lynn Duke, Strathearn Herald

MADDERTY residents came a step closer to a new village hall last weekend.

On land south of the village of St Davids, gifted to the community by the Sutherland family, Madderty Community Association broke ground on their new hall.

The million-pound project will be built by local firm Hadden Construction with hopes of completion by Christmas of this year.

Members of the hall sub-committee have been working hard since 2004 to develop a brief and secure funds to replace the old corrugated iron structure that has been in use since 1926.

The new hall facilities will include a main space to suit concerts and functions of up to 150 people and be suitable for a variety of sports.

Ancillary accommodation provides for meeting rooms, kitchen, toilets and showers. Central to the committee’s plans is the creation of an energy conscious building and, thanks to grants from Community Energy Scotland, the building will incorporate insulation above the norm and utilise heat pump technology and underfloor heating.

The committee has been assisted by a design team led by Finlayson Architects of Comrie with structural engineering by Campbell of Doune, quantity surveying by Ralph Oggs of Perth and mechanical electrical engineering by Elders of Edinburgh.

To achieve its goals the community are grateful for funding received from the Hay McLaggan Trust, Perth and Kinross Council, The Gannochy Trust, The Hugh Fraser Foundation and The Rural Development Fund.

Before cutting the turf George Thom, village resident for over 75 years, reminisced about first ploughing this same field, with two horses and plough, at the outset of the Second World War.