

A sketch view of the Village Hall
Community consultation confirmed the view that Slaidburn needed a new village hall which fitted well into the conservation village and Slaidburn Property Trust consulted widely to find the accommodation required in the hall. The Trust then asked the architect to produce a harmonious building that gave the identified space and satisfied four criteria:
1. The building should be as environmentally friendly as possible.
2. Natural materials sourced as locally should be used in the work wherever possible.
3. Everything necessary should be done to minimise long term maintenance and running costs.
4. It should be a building of the highest quality.
The building work started in January 2006 and was completed in May 2007.
The following team put the brief into practice:
Architect: Austin-Smith:Lord initially of Warrington and then of Liverpool
Concept by Alistair Sunderland and detail by Peter Jones and Victoria Alderton

Alistair Sunderland - architect
Quantity Surveyor: Todd & Ledstone of Liverpool
Richard Longster and Stuart Champion
Structural Engineer: Bingham Davis of Liverpool
Ian Booth & Brian Edmondson
M & E Engineers: Emech of Stockport
Mechanical by Mike Aspinall and Electrical by Steve Dewsbury
Planing Supervisor
& "Mr Fixit": Tony Hargan - AJH Associates of Clitheroe
Flood Risk Consultant: Richard Annable - JBA Consulting of Skipton
Bat Surveyor: Stan Irwin of Formby
Contractor: Marland Builders & Contractors Ltd of Leyland
Contract Manager - Mike Burridge
The total build cost was over £1,500,000 and came from a variety of sources, most notably from an independent charity, North West Trust. Other significant funds came from the Enterprising Rural Communities and Pathfinder in Practice programmes supported by the Northwest Regional Development Agency; the European Union through ERDF; the Lancashire Environmental Fund and the Bowland Sustainable Fund. There was also considerable capacity building help and advice from Community Futures and the Lancashire Economic Partnership. Necessary funds also came from from local and national charities, local businesses like Forest Enterprise and many, many local people.
The photographs in the slideshow below show the building work on the project as it progressed: