LLANRUMNEY Hall’s facelift is closer than ever, as residents hope for a complete redevelopment by September 2017.
Llanrumney Hall as it stands today
Local legend paints Llanrumney Hall as being the birthplace of the infamous pirate and privateer, Captain Henry Morgan, and it has hosted the Llanrumney Rugby Football Club for the last 40 years.
As the Grade II listed building is owned by the council, the club claims it has been difficult to carry out repairs.
Patrick Cachia, club secretary, is frustrated that the club is not allowed to look after the building themselves: “It’s all red tape, really. All we’ve wanted to do is cater for the community.”
Now a £1m investment will give the hall a much needed facelift, and applications made on October 3rd for more funding from the Welsh Government could turn the site into a sporting and educational centrepiece for the whole area. The Rugby Club hopes to complete this work by autumn next year.
The £1m was provided by House of Sport, with backing from Cardiff City Football Club’s owner Vincent Tan and director Steven Borley, and will be managed by a community trust. The investment will cover the first of two phases.
The first is redeveloping the existing Hall, bringing it up to lettable standards. The second phase, which will require a grant from the Welsh Government, will include the building of a new multi-purpose community hall and a 4G rugby pitch on the site.
Artist’s impression of Llanrumney Hall after the investment. Credit: @LlanrumneyHall
Scott Eames, the club’s Junior Chairman, said: “I think there’s a lot of community spirit in Llanrumney, particularly centred around the club.
“We put on a lot of events around Bank Holidays, bonfire nights, that sort of thing, and all the proceeds from things like club fees and the bar all go back into the community. Part of the plans for the new buildings is for a new hall, and when the nights start getting longer it’ll be a proper community hub.”
In a previous statement on the plans, Llanrumney Councillor Keith Jones said: “I fully support the redevelopment of the Grade II listed Llanrumney Hall. It is vital that this wonderful building can once again be resorted to its former glory and afford wider community benefit across the generations.”
