Village hall gets £50,000 loan

Community activists have secured a £50,000 loan from Conwy Council to pay for the redevelopment of a village hall.
Llannefydd village hall is more than 50 years old and in need of extensive works, with local plans to redevelop the site as a community hub.
The total cost of the project is £468,700, for which funding has been secured, including £50,000 from Conwy Council project match funding.
Part of the funding package includes a grant approved from the Rural
Community Development Fund of £127,760.
The money from the council cannot be paid out until invoices from the project are payable, so today the council’s cabinet agreed to provide a loan to cover the same amount as the grant.
Council leader Cllr Sam Rowlands said: “I think the local community group there have done a really good job.
“They’ve drawn down some grant funding and all credit to them for going through that process and raised significant funding to meet that need that is there in the community to upgrade the village hall.
“That funding is only payable upon the receipt of invoices once the work has been done, so this loan is to assist with cash flow and allow the work to take place at the village hall.”
The area’s county councillor, Sue Lloyd-Williams, said: “Members from the community of Llannefydd have worked tirelessly thus far, volunteering their time in securing monies to develop and improve the hall and demonstrating a clear commitment to the continued sustainability of the village and surrounding area.”
Members of the cabinet voted unanimously in favour of granting the loan.

By Shane Brennan – Local Democracy Reporter