The current accommodation includes office space for the local MP, the Community Police Constable Officer and the Parish Office. The original Library room is a well appointed space in good decorative order. It is used for 8 hours a week by the Odiham Book Exchange and houses the book collection in purpose built shelving. This room has good Wi-Fi access, a public access PC and a high specification display screen. It is used for Parish Council meetings and will be available for group hire from 1st September, following the installation of a staff toilet in June 2023.
However, the Bridewell has a far greater potential than is currently being realised.
Odiham Parish Council is actively striving towards its vision of “transforming The Bridewell into a community hub” to provide the community with an alternative venue for hire and to accommodate outreach service provision to residents. By maximising income to support running costs, this work supports long term viability.
This is OPC’s future vision is shown in the images below. These were put to public consultation in May 2022:
The current stage of the project is shown below and covered by OPC’s working document, Business Plan 2.
Update June 2023
- Revise plans for phase 2 building works, secure listed building consent and complete works – new toilet installation for office staff completed June 2023.
- Secure funding for phase 3 building works (repairs north wall) and complete works – listed building consent secured, external funding secured, work scheduled September 2023.
- Branding, agreements and policies for hirings spaces – developed and agreed by OPC April 2023.
- Open to other hirers & users – ready to accept bookings from 1st August 2023 with new hires from 1st September.
- Develop and adopted Business Plan 2 short/medium goals – adopted March.
- Research and develop plans for ad hoc hot desking – research completed, OPC resolved to submit a listed building planning application for enhancements to upstairs space and research on external funding is in progress. See images below.
- Progress future vision research – in June 2023, OPC resolved to submit a pre-application planning application to Hart District Council to determine whether building an extension on the first floor is feasible.
