A village hall in Chester will benefit from reduced energy bills thanks to a housing association.

Upton Village Hall has had £2,500 worth of environmentally friendly light emitting diode lighting and low energy fans installed in the property by Sanctuary Maintenance, part of Sanctuary Group.

The improvements to the hall are part of the groups’s commitment to supporting the communities where it is building new homes.

Working in partnership with the Homes and Communities Agency, Sanctuary Maintenance has built four new developments across Chester, including at Laurel Bank in Upton, to provide more affordable accommodation in the city.

Upton Village Hall is where the original consultation meetings for the Laurel Bank development took place and 16 Chester families are now settling into their new, environmentally-friendly affordable homes.

Sanctuary also held a ‘design a fantasy playground’ competition for pupils from nearby Acresfield Primary School in Upton. The designs have inspired plans for a new play area, which will be installed at the scheme over the coming months.

Sanctuary Maintenance managing director Paul Finch said: “Sanctuary is committed to supporting the community and making improvements to facilities, such as this village hall in Upton, for the benefits of residents. The environmental benefits of the work will have a lasting impact on the community.”

Upton Village Hall chairman Phil Pearn added: “We are so grateful to Sanctuary Maintenance for their support, which has helped us to achieve our wider ambitions of making our hall more environmentally friendly.”