Community centre gutted by fire reopens after rebuild

A community centre and GP surgery gutted in a fire two years ago has been rebuilt and reopened.

The fire at the Gotham Memorial Hall, which also housed the Orchard Surgery Practice, broke out in February 2023.

The fire was described as "soul-destroying" by hall trustees at the time, and work to rebuild the hall has been ongoing ever since.

The hall reopened with some environmentally friendly modifications, including air source heat pumps and solar panels.

Martin Raven, chairman of the hall trustees, said: "Originally, we were obviously intensely upset, but after two days we started to see it as an opportunity to try to modernise things."

Mike Boast, commercial director at Gateley Smithers Purslow, who oversaw the project, said: "I grew up in the village, so it has been very close to my heart, and with the building being at the heart of the community, it was very important for me to deliver the project."

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