HALL FOR SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30856, 15 September 1965, Page 16

HALL FOR SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY

Preliminary plans for the first “community hall” in Canterbury, to be shared by a primary school and organisations in a new housing district, have been received by the Canterbury Education Board, but the hall is unlikely to be built until next year. The site is that for the Westburn School, near the corner of Waimairi and Grahams roads. This school and residents of the rapidlygrowing Avonhead area will

use the hall, which will he Independent of school buildings, except possibly for heating and similar services. The scheme, announced late in 1963. will provide community facilities in new housing areas in association with assembly halls for primary schools. The Education Department Will make available £4OOO (the amount normally granted in subsidy for assembly halls) and the remainder up to £12.000 will be met by grant from lottery funds in privately developed housing areas or shared equally by the Housing Division of the Ministry of Works and lottery funds in areas developed by the State.

Six areas (three developed privately and three by the State) were chosen for initial participation in the scheme, one in each group in the South Island. An investigating committee has recently been surveying needs over the whole of New Zealand to determine . tha next allocation of community halls.