HE dream of turning an empty town hall into a dynamic, refurbished venue for Wiveliscombe took a step closer this week.

West Somerset community regeneration organisation Onion Collective submitted a funding bid to a major architectural charity.

The collective was applying to the Architectural Heritage Fund on behalf of Wiveliscombe Town Hall Trust for further development funding to get the project to a planning stage for spring 2017.

The funding would cover everything from architects, quantity surveyors and surveys to legal advice and the cost of submissions before further funding would need to be sought for the actual build.

The trust is still looking for more community feedback through an online survey, following public consultation at Wivey Street Fair in the town last month, as well as asking members of the public to sponsor new window panes.

Chairman John Bone said: “A thirst for an arts and culture venue for the town was evident from the consultation, with a theatre, a cinema and a venue for live music scoring highest, when residents and visitors let us know their thoughts at the trust’s fundraising stall.”

The trust asked the Onion Collective to help after it received a £3,000 project viability grant from the Architectural Heritage Fund to carry out community consultation. Following on from that, further funding bids are now taking place.

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