BRAMSHOTT and Liphook Parish Council is facing a series of costly repairs to the Millennium Centre.

Its three boilers, which were installed 17 years ago, have stopped working, leaving the entire centre, including the Scout hall, without heating. Councillors were told within the last week the flue dilation fan had failed and the boilers may need to be replaced.

In addition, the guttering has deteriorated in recent weeks and must be either repaired or replaced.

Group Scout leader Bryan Jackson, who attended both the Liphook Millennium Centre committee and the parish council meetings, raised grave concerns over children’s safety and adults coming along the walkway to the Scouts Hall entrance.

He stated the guttering, which has regularly flooded the walkway, was now in such dire need of replacement or repair, that when temperatures drop below zero it creates a ‘slippery ice rink’.

Mr Jackson also mentioned the Scouts pay an annual maintenance fee of £2,500 for heating, gutters and floors in their hall, on top of leasing fees, and he felt the matter required ‘urgent attention’.

Parish councillors discussed both issues at Monday’s meeting, having already sought quotes for replacements and repairs for boilers and guttering.

They agreed work needed to be carried out in the most cost-effective and speedy way, which would have to be funded from the council’s reserves.

Councillors heard the guttering at the centre had deteriorated even further in recent weeks, and must be either repaired or replaced.

Contractors’ advice and quotations have been sought and councillors feared unless the gutters are not replaced or repaired properly it could result in continuous repairs and higher costs.

In addition, it was stated many tiles were missing from the roof which would need to be dealt with at a later stage.

Councillors agreed to make the entrance to the Scout Hall a priority and that the guttering should be replaced if a repair was unviable and costs of repair, or replacement – estimated at around £5,000 – were met from reserves.

They also felt repairing the boilers could cause other problems, which could lead to more costs over the next few years and would result in false economy.

A boiler replacement has been estimated at around £30,000, while repairs to the flu fan could be carried out at a cost of around £1,700.

Parish chairman Jane Ives (pictured) pointed out the centre is regularly used by children and old people and the blow heaters used at present to heat up the rooms were not efficient or effective enough.

Councillors agreed the boilers should be replaced if a repair was unviable and the costs of repair or replacement should also be met from reserves.

They also agreed to a maximum outlay for both the guttering and boilers, and to delegate the decision concerning repair or replacement – and choice of contractor – to Mrs Ives, the chairman, vice-chairman, Jeanette Kirby.

They also requested for offer (RFO) to speed up the work which needs to be carried out.

At November’s LMC meeting, the committee heard a presentation by Kevin Carrig, the light and sound manager of the Methodist Amateur Dramatic (MAD) Company, after councillors had been debating the repair or removal of the centre’s stage lighting.

The MAD Company has staged several productions at the centre this year and will be returning with their annual panto, Robinson Crusoe, in February.

Mr Carrig advised he had a good idea of what lighting equipment was in the hall and believed the current system provided 95 per cent of a basic set-up which enables a theatrical group to bring in any additional lighting needed.

He claimed the equipment was still good and if it was removed, the centre would be unusable as a theatre. He pointed out the Millennium Centre, as a village amenity, was originally intended as a theatre as well as for other uses.

According to Mr Carrig, there were also current issues with the lighting rig which were design faults rather than degradation and for which remedial work could be undertaken.

The MAD technical team attend occasionally to replace broken stage lights. He believed the cost to remove the equipment would not be too different to the cost to remedy the rig’s issues.

Susan Garnett asked whether any of the local theatre organisations would be prepared to make a contribution to the cost of any work required. Mr Carrig replied MAD were making a contribution in time, but he could not speak for the other organisations.

Jane Ives stated the parish council had previously struggled to get advice about the lighting and what remedial work was needed. Mr Carrig felt he could seek advice and report back.

Councillors also agreed the centre should set up its own website, estimated to cost £1,000, separate from the parish council’s which would give the centre its own identity and allow for online ticketing to be introduced.

The parish council subsidies the centre to the tune of £20,000 a year and earmarked reserves have been set aside for all the repairs.

Bramshott and Liphook Parish Council recently came third in an award for Best Use of Social Media, specifically for its two Facebook pages – one for the parish council and one for the Millennium Centre.