Tandridge District Council’s Resources Committee has agreed to sell The Jennings Hall (formerly Lingfield Day Centre) to Lingfield Parish Council.  The building will be leased to Lingfield and Dormansland Community Centre (LDCC) and will continue to run as part of the Community Centre complex.

Since January 2015, a five year service level agreement has been in place between the owners, Tandridge District Council and the LDCC to manage the Jennings Hall.   Following the success of this, Lingfield Parish Council entered into discussions with Tandridge District Council to buy Jennings Hall so the arrangement could continue. A similar arrangement is already in place between Lingfield Parish Council and the LDCC for the main Community Centre building.

Final terms are to be agreed, but the legal agreement would include provision which limits the building’s future use to providing community services.

Councillor Simon Ainsworth, Chairman of the Resources Committee, said: “Our overall aim is to continue to support local providers of community services who offer such valuable support to our more vulnerable residents. We consider this sale a good way to ensure the future, long term viability of the support the day centre offers.”

Ian Jones, chairman of the Lingfield and Dormansland Community Centre Committee, said: “This will enable us to manage the Jennings Hall and the Community Centre together, in the best interests of the community. The Jennings Hall is already used to provide the very successful Meals on Wheels service to local people and other services such as the Darby and Joan Club. It is our intention to continue to provide these services and to extend the use of the hall.”