The battle to repurpose a village hall described as a "dreadful eyesore" is set to rumble on as an appeal has been submitted following a council decision last year.

In 2024 Warwick District Council (WDC) refused to acknowledge the Meadows Hut in Stoneleigh is no longer designated for community use - the latest in a decade-long saga around the building.

JBC Property Developments said the building has been vacant since 2013, and claimed the past three owners have all tried to find a new use for it, as the timber structure is no longer suitable for public use.

In its application JBC said there are "clear structural issues" meaning any "reasonable person" would say the building has "reached the end of its lifespan".

But council planners were not satisfied the building could not be returned to community use.

The hut is said to be in a poor state (image via planning application)

JBC has now submitted an appeal, asking for the decision to be overturned.

"If a reasonable person saw the state of the building, knew that it had remained like this for the last 14 years and had no intervening uses, no repairs, no public use or maintenance, no visits at all would they, being a reasonable person consider the use to be abandoned?" the appeal asked.

advertisement

"It is our view that yes, they would and on that basis, we consider that the appeal should be allowed and the certificate be issued for the lawfulness of the site as a community use as having been abandoned and the site accordingly having a nil use."

WDC has doubled down on its previous decision and submitted its own statement of case.

When the local authority refused planning permission last year it said: "An addendum to the structural report considered as part of application stated that the building could be re-purposed for a community use, but further adds that the cost of the requirements would outweigh the viability of such an exercise.

"As noted...whilst the building is considered to be in a poor state, officers consider in line with the addendum that the building could be re-purposed and made good for a community use."

See the full application here.