THE ongoing and labyrinthine machinations of the delivery of a 'new' village hall for Newnham, is surely an epic saga approaching Nordic proportion?

Opinion over what might be the best outcome and where might prove the best location is polarising the village and causing passionate debate – mostly without rancour.

As an interested, but to date, non-participating resident of Newnham, I think a new village hall would be good for the village. But I can't help but feel that the positioning of the arguments are far from impartial.

And now a pamphlet has dropped through my door alerting me to an exhibition of the options and giving me a heads up on a referendum.

This is great, and a testament to democracy in action. I'll go and I'll vote, although, I did find the pamphlet heading – A new village hall for Newnham? – a bit disingenuous and also somewhat illusory.

Am I the only one who thinks that what we are being asked to support spending circa £500,000 on is actually a new village club – not a new village hall at all?

It seems to me that what we're going to get for our money with the current proposal, is a reduction in overall useable square footage – through the closure of the WI Hut and the Armoury Hall. And in return, a refurbished club with a nice flat for the steward. (Although, this latter point never seems to make its way too prominently into the rationale material.)

For me, if it looks like a duck, walks like a duck and quacks like a duck – it's probably a duck! So why muddy the water with all this village hall stuff? What we'll all be voting for is a new village club – with a couple of extra rooms the village can use.

The 'proper' new village hall – which I assume will not need a permanent bar or living accommodation – will surely come from the property developer as a 'conditional enabler' when getting planning permission to develop the fields above the school for residential purposes?

Anyway I'm looking forward to the exhibition – and the wording of the referendum will be interesting. Personally, I think an improved club will be a good thing.

Peter Mounty

Newnham