The leaking roof of one of South Derbyshire’s most historic buildings has been repaired after a £25,000 boost.

There were concerns over the roof at Gresley Old Hall, in Church Gresley, were sparked after staff were previously forced to position buckets on the dance hall floor to catch falling water leaking though the roof during periods of heavy rain.

Now, after the a funding boost from commercial recycling and waste firm Veolia and Derbyshire County Council, the roof has been repaired.

Gresley Old Hall, has been given a grant of over £20,000 to get the roof repaired. Pictured: Roy Agar from Gresley Old Hall and Paul Taylor Executive Director Veolia Enviromental Trust
Gresley Old Hall has been given a grant of £20,000 to get the roof repaired. Pictured: Roy Agar from Gresley Old Hall and Paul Taylor, executive director Veolia Enviromental Trust

Veolia, which puts money back into sites affected by landfill, chose to donate the cash to Gresley Old Hall due to its proximity to the landfill site in neighbouring Albert Village. It operates the landfill site, off Occupation Road.

Bob Ellis, vice-chairman as Gresley Old Hall, said: "The main dance hall has a capacity of 400 people. We have had a problem for several years because the felt roof has been leaking for a long time. It’s been in danger of damaging the dance floor which is a very good sprung dance floor.

Gresley Old Hall, has been given a grant of over £20,000 to get the roof repaired. Pictured: Gresley Old Hall, Dance Hall, showing the new roof
The new roof of the dance hall at Gresley Old Hall

"We have had to have buckets out when there is heavy rain so we finally found a way of funding a new roof and that was with help from Veolia environment trust. It has it kindly has given us a grant of £20,000 for a new roof, which is now installed and I am pleased to say the building is now waterproof."

Following a visit to Gresley Old Hall for a site inspection, Paul Taylor, executive director of Veolia, said: "We funded the roof of this fantastic building. It is just the sort of thing we like to do. We put money back into the community affected by landfill sites and were able to provide a grant of £20,000 to help towards the cost of fixing the roof here so the rain wasn’t able to come onto this wonderful dance floor.

Gresley Old Hall, has been given a grant of over £20,000 to get the roof repaired. Pictured: Damage to the roof inside the main hall
Damage to the roof inside the main hall pictured before the work started

"These facilities are absolutely vital for communities and to be able to ensure it continues to do what it does, which is fantastic. It is just the sort of project we like to fund where lots of local people get to use a fantastic facility like this."

Most read stories

The hall committee also received £5,000 from Derbyshire County Council's community priorities fund towards this project.

Gresley Old Hall, has been given a grant of over £20,000 to get the roof repaired. Pictured: The roof has also had to be repaired on the Band room, where as you can see it had began to fall in. It's going to be a few more months before the band move back into the room, as though the outside roof has been repaired, the inside of the roof ahs also got to be repaired.
The roof has been repaired on the band room. However, the ceiling needs to be replaced due to water leaking

The leaking roof to its band room has also been repaired at the same time following £3,000 worth of fund-raising from the Gresley Colliery Brass Band whose members have been unable to practice in the room for three years.

However, the band faces another long wait to repair the ceiling which has also suffered damage do to a leak.