New village hall 'within four years'for Barnham

Confident Cllr Terry Bedford said: "We will have a new hall before 2012, maybe before that. That's the intention. This scheme has been a long time coming.

"I am very optimistic we will be able to achieve it.

"There is a groundswell of enthusiasm towards the whole scheme. There has been latent enthusiasm for some time. Now, it is being harnessed and now we will draw this plans together."

Cllr Bedford heads a team gathered by Barnham Parish Council to lead the development proposals. It comprises parish councillors as well as members of its fundraising arm, BLADE (Barnham Leisure Development Amenities Enterprise).

Plans for the 750,000 development have been put together by architect Richard Atkinson. These will be shown at a session being held in the current village hall on December 17 when the building's users will be invited to have their say about the intended replacement.

Two public exhibitions will take place at the hall in mid-January to enable villagers to make their views known.

Hopes for a public recreation space to be created in Barnham date from 1992.

They became formal five years later when a planning approval for the change of use from a field was granted.

They were joined two years later by proposals for a new village hall to replace the current Yapton Road building which dates from 1923.

The parish council has just been given permission by Arun District Council to renew its latest proposals from 2002 for the scheme to take place.

The new facilities are planned for nine acres of land off Church Lane, known as Murrell's Field.

Mr Bedford said the intention was to provide football and cricket pitches. An athletics track would be installed around the field's perimeter. None of these facilities exist in the village.

The proposed hall would be able to accommodate more than set of users at a time.

Cllr Bedford described the current building as being unsuitable and small.

"It has outserved its usefulness. We want a 21st century building for the village," he explained.

A survey in 2004 showed 96 per cent of the hall's 19 users supported a new building.

Fundraising for the scheme has been undertaken by BLADE since the 1990s. The parish council, according Cllr Bedford, is also willing to sell some land at an undisclosed location to bring in further funding.

A 200 Club will be launched on January 8 in which a 10 monthly contribution will entitle members to enter a draw for a 1,000 prize.