Consent has been secured for a new $10.5 million community and activity centre in Warkworth.

The building proposed by the Mahurangi Presbyterian Church will be located on Mansel Drive, opposite the Summerset Falls retirement village.

This huge project is scheduled to begin at the start of the earthworks season: October 1.

The building will include an activity centre, as well as sports facilities, meeting rooms, a cafe and a commercial kitchen. There will also be facilities for Foodlink, Warkworth’s combined churches’ food bank, and an on-site car park with more than 100 spaces.

The centre will be for both church and community use, serving as a location for church services, sporting practices and a venue for larger community events such as cultural festivals.

Once these initial plans are completed, an additional 450-seat auditorium with full sound and lighting capabilities and a dedicated chapel will be added.

So far, most of the funding for the project has come from members of the church and the local community. Charitable grants have also been received from Foundation North ($300,000.00), Internal Affairs Lottery Division ($400,000.00), Auckland City Council Sport and Recreation Department ($785,000.00) and the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand (300,000.00).