PARISH councillors in Williton have failed to support a scheme which would pave the way for a new village hall. A dedicated group of volunteers ended a ten-year search for a sit e for the much needed facility earlier this year when it emerged local residents John and Margaret Moorhouse were willing to sell part of the garden of their home in Croftways in Long Street. But a planning application to change the designation of the land to recreational use - the first step in the process - was recommended for refusal by the council's planning committee on Monday. Cllr Robin Venner, who chairs the committee, said councillors believed the application was "too vague". "It was unclear quite what recreational use would mean," he told the Free Press after the decision. "We were expecting an application for a village hall, which I think most people felt would be looked upon favourably." The application will be decided by West Somerset Council's planning committee as the parish council is only a statutory consultee in the process. The village hall steering group, which is in throes of acquiring registered charity status, has until the end of the year to meet a £100,000 target to complete the sale of the land, cover legal and architects' fees and the cost of building a two- metre high stone wall between the site - which borders the Memorial Ground - and Croftways. Fundraising and donations have so far brought in just over £61,000 and previously pledged grant aid of around £12,800 from the parish council is awaited. Steering group member Viv Butler asked parish councillors at their monthly meeting on Monday when the grant aid was likely to be transferred. But she was told by chairman Cllr Bill Gulliford that a previous decision to seek legal advice on the issue had been delayed because the council had to seek a new solicitor after realising the one it intended to consult was already acting for the steering group. "We have to ensure the legality of the whole thing,' said Cllr Gulliford. "We were given to understand that the money the council has set aside was for bricks and mortar, rather than for land." Cllr Gulliford said legal advice was also being sought on a request for the council to submit the planning application for the village hall in order to gain a 50 per cent reduction in the cost of the bid. "There is no timeline on this at present. We need to make sure that we do everything absolutely correctly."
