Muir hall set for £250k makeover
A £250,000 revamp of a Ross-shire village hall at the heart of the community it serves for 125 years is under way with hopes high the work will give it a fresh start.
The work centres on Muir of Ord village hall which has benefited from funding from a number of sources.
Work on the refurbishment project was awarded by the Muir of Ord Hall and Facilities Company to Compass Building and Construction Services.
Work started on the revamp last week and with a scheduled completion by the end of this year.
The focus of the work is on the insulation of the building including the replacement of windows and doors. Also scheduled is a revamp of the heating system to make it more economic and efficient and modernisation of the toilets.
Additional space for rental is also part of the plans. A spokeswoman for the group said: “We anticipate that these refurbishments should enable a much better experience for the many users of the village hall and also encourage greater use of the facility.”
A budget of around £250,000 has been set aside for the work which has been primarily raised from three sources — the Highland Council, SSE’s energy efficiency fund and Fairburn wind farm fund) and the Highland Cross.
The spokeswoman added: “The Muir of Ord Hall and Facilities Company is very grateful for these contributions and some local donations, without which we would not have been able to proceed.”
The Muir of Ord Village Hall on Seaforth Road has been a community hub for the village since 1893. In 2009, following the Highland Council’s decision to divest itself of the building, a public meeting agreed that the community should take on ownership of the resource.
An option appraisal committed the community association to establish a separate company limited by guarantee to hold the ownership of the hall. The Muir of Ord Hall & Facilities Company was set up in April 2011 and bought the hall from the council for £1 in May 2012.
It was accepted at the time that if it was ever to cover its own costs, a refurbishment would be required. Plans were drawn up and approved in the middle of 2016.
