How can you get a building protected?

[LaBelleDameSansPatience]

In the next village to us there is a lovely corrugated iron village hall. We use it quite frequently (maybe once a month) when we go to events. A small but vociferous group wants to knock it down and replace it with a new village hall, which seems totally unnecessary - it is a tiny village - and expensive. Inside there is a wooden floor, a great little stage, a perfectly adequate kitchen and photographs and plaques dating from 1927.
A group of us really don't want to see it knocked down, as it is a good size - not too big for small events/children's parties etc - and has a great atmosphere. Corrugated iron also seems to be quite in vogue at the moment.
Is there anything we can do to get it protected in some way? Has anyone ever done anything like this?

You could put it forward for listed building status.

Will google that ...

Inform English Heritage and they will decide whether it is worth listing or not.

contact English Heritage. but also start doing some of your own research if you want then to take you seriously. Do you know who owns the building? who manages it? who is responsible for its upkeep? are there any historical features that are genuinely with preserving?

also, there might be greater mileage in working with the other group rather than against them. work as a community to make an informed choice as to what kind of facility will suit the present and future needs of your community -might be the existing one, might be a new build. but you are more likely to get a sustainable solution if you involve more people and look at the bigger picture rather than just two opposing groups butting heads over a divisive issue.

Justwondering, you are quite right; a compromise solution would be best ... the trouble is, they are absolutely set on a new hall, because they feel that it is old fashioned, which is of course exactly why some of us love it .... need to do some research, quite true ...

I used to work in community development and have seen villages split down the middle on just this issue. They resolved it in different ways. One of them even went for doing both - they kept their old hall for some very specific purposes and fundraiser to build a completely new one as well , which had everything the old one didn't like space for sports, Internet connections and lots more space for storage and activities.

There should be some kind of consultation process happening - funders of any project lke this require the applicants to demonstrate that whatever proposal they make meets the needs of the community, whether its a renovation of an existing facility or a new build. But the first steps are to ascertain ownership of the land and building, and how the money works - who currently pays for upkeep etc.

Will do some research after Christmas ... thank you .... don't really want 'village split down the middle' scenario here ...