'It's now or never' to save Grade II listed barn

Campaigners are fighting to save a Grade II listed 16th Century barn before it goes on sale.

Heath Barn in John's Road is believed to be one of the oldest sets of buildings in Boxmoor, Hertfordshire and has been used as a farm, theatre and musical school.

Plans have been approved to convert it into private housing; however, campaign group Our Heath Barn believes it should be used as a community space with an art and wellbeing focus and has two months to make a bid.

Lisa Timms, leader of the group, said it was "now or never" and added: "We want to preserve this heritage and keep its legacy going."

She added: "I think we have lost so much history, we could really work with what we've got and provide something for the community."

Despite residential plans for the site being approved in February, the council, which owns the building, offered the group the chance to come up with a bid and organise fundraising, which Timms describes as a "now or never" opportunity.

The campaign group want to make it a creative and wellbeing community hub and cafe with a focus on "representing the arts and creative people".

Timms moved to Hemel Hempstead four years ago and has been a part of the group since the beginning.

However, she did not know the building existed until about three years ago and hoped it would not get "flattened", as she said there was some life left in it.

She added: "We don't have a community centre. It just could be amazing... We can see how it would sit so beautifully into what we've already got, it's perfectly aligned and really needed."

The council agreed that Our Heath Barn, which has been set up as a community interest company, should have a two-month window to work on its bid before the site is put on the open market for a further two months.

Since launching a campaign to save the building, Timms said supporters had shared memories of the building, which she said "really set our hearts on fire".

She said the group have looked into the community buying into the barn to "guarantee its long-term future" and keep it "going for generations".

"It's such a brilliant building that could offer so much more… when you look at the building, it lends itself to community," she said.

From 11 April, the barn will go to the open market. A final decision about the site's future will be made in June.

A report to the council noted it is obliged to get "best consideration" from the disposal of surplus assets.

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