Renovations on Chichester Cottage will begin next month, readying the building for use by the community as a bookable facility.
The cottage, which is located alongside Mill House on an Auckland Council reserve, is being gifted to HPRS by HLC in a refurbished state. The agreement to transfer cottage ownership to HPRS was signed by HPRS chairperson Peter Herbert and committee member Raewyn Gilmour on July 3.
The renovations being undertaken by HLC include work to ensure weather-tightness (such as recladding, re-roofing, spouting, gutters and downpipes), installing a new floor and floor coverings, rewiring, replumbing, new service connections, fitting out a new bathroom and kitchen, internal redecoration, planting and building a patio/seating area. The work is scheduled to finish in December this year, at which time HPRS will take over the facility and manage it as a community venue available for hire on a user-pays basis. Featuring one large room, a kitchen and a bathroom, it will suit small group activities of up to 20 people.
The committee is delighted by this notable achievement in the life of HPRS and is grateful to HLC for its help, encouragement and willingness to meet the needs of our community.
Committee members are now working on equipping the cottage with the items required for a community facility that are also in keeping with the cottage’s interior, durable, versatile, fit for purpose (including for small meetings and catering) and which meet health and safety requirements.
