Save All Hallows hall!!

Urgent! All Hallows Hall is under real threat of closure to the community in the coming months.

The current land/building owner has submitted a planning application to demolish the current stage and build 4 flats immediately at the back of the hall, overlooking into ‘The Pickle Factory/Baggator’. It would leave the hall with no outside space and no stage; essentially finishing the use of All Hallows Hall to the community and severely impairing The Pickle Factory’s future viability.

Easton’s access to a weekly Co-Operative Gym, The Ping Pong Parlour, acting classes, circus training as well as community events, dances, live music, theatre, art events and affordable rehearsal space would be severely limited and may even have to stop. The community have come together for the past 8 years to share music, art and drama performances, film festivals, awards ceremonies, charity fundraisers, large meetings and markets.  All Hallows Hall has become a real hub of the community and a vital resource. It is currently being used during this pandemic to help feed thousands of local struggling residents via the community care package.

We need as many people as possible to object to these plans!

OBJECTIONS NEED TO BE MADE BY SUNDAY 2ND AUGUST! PLEASE SHARE!

Add your voice here. There are template letters in the documents folder and one below. Try to make it as personal as possible if you can and to hit the planning issues listed below. You can comment on the planning portal with the objection box ticked – your comment goes into the documents file once you have clicked send.

Planning issues the Council will consider include:

• loss of light or privacy
• overshadowing on your home
• highway safety
• traffic and parking issues
• noise
• amenity
• wildlife
• historic buildings
• conservation
• design
• appearance of the development

Template letter

I am objecting to the planning application submitted to build a 3 story building of 4 residential flats at the rear of All Hallows Hall in Easton BS5 0HH (planning application number 20/02804/LA).
I would like to make my objection known on several grounds including overcrowding, loss of light and space, and the overall detrimental effect to a much loved and valued community space which is Grade 2 listed.
Also for the negative impact these residential dwellings will have to the community space next door, the charity and young people’s project ‘Baggator’, with which All Hallows co-op currently shares outdoor space and a gated entrance with.
The build would remove the well loved stage where the community have come together for the past 8 years to share music, art, performances and much more. The hall remains a vital hub of the community which is currently being used during this pandemic to help to feed thousands of local struggling residents in conjunction with the community care package scheme.
Along with the loss of the stage would be the loss of 2 of the 3 fire escapes for the hall and would effectively end the ability to have any evening activities or use the garden as the space would be severely limited to the amount of people that could be in the hall at any one time.
Access to the weekly Cooperative Gym, The Ping Pong Parlour, acting classes, circus training, and community events including dances, pop up’s, live music, markets, arts events, film festivals and affordable rehearsal space would no longer be possible.
All Hallows Co-op and Baggator, with aid from the BBC’s show ‘Operation People Power’ have been cultivating a safe outdoor space for vulnerable members of the local community who already have very little outside private space in Easton. This safe space for women and young people would be overlooked by the flats thus rendering it virtually useless to vulnerable people.
The building of 4 flats in this space will depreciate the character of the local area and hugely downgrade the future usefulness of this beautiful grade 2 listed building.
In summary, I feel that a residential block of flats squeezed into this small space between 2 valued community projects is wholly inappropriate and will have a hugely detrimental effect on the community of Easton which it currently helps to support in a multitude of ways.