Scout group hoping to modernise hall with £70,000 roof and toilet plans

6th Ipswich Scout Group has applied to raise the roof and install new toilets in their scout hall to make the building more modern.

The roof at the moment is currently very low, so much so that the steel bars that run across the top, can be touched by reaching up, and currently has asbestos in.

The roof in the scout hall at the moment is very low, so with the new plans, they are hoping to raise the roof (Image: Matthew Garrard)

Matthew Garrard, group scout leader, said: "We are just trying to modernise the building to make it more useful to us and to the community.

"By raising the ceiling inside, it will hopefully turn the hall into more of a sports hall rather than what it currently is."

The toilets are currently a single-brick side extension to the left as you enter, but with the new plans, they plan to be moved to the back of the hall, and rather than having two toilets, there are plans to be dedicated men's, women's and disabled facilities, with four toilets and urinals.

Matthew Garrard, Group Scout Leader at Ipswich 6th Scout Group (Image: Matthew Garrard)

Mr Garrard continued: "The toilets we currently have has no insulation whatsoever, the pipes currently freeze in the winter so it was a case of looking at how would you get disabled toilets in and modernising them, but it was more cost effective to move them completely.

"The architects told us to put everything into a plan that we wanted to be done, but we don't expect everything to come off.

"The figure for everything is around £70,000, but we aren't looking to do the whole lot.

They are hoping to raise the roof of the building (Image: Matthew Garrard)The community would benefit from the changes made to the scout hall (Image: Matthew Garrard)

"We are hoping to approach various organisations to help with the funding of this project because it isn't cheap."

Another plan they had was to try and convert the garage they currently have into a lobby to the upstairs, to make it separate from the rest of the building as it is not currently used.

They would then rent it out to businesses to generate income.

Mr Garrard said: "The architects don't see any reason why it wouldn't get approved because obviously you are improving the building for the community really so we are hopeful."