SIR — It's great news that the Minehead Development Trust is going ahead with plans to secure Minehead's former hospital for community use (Free Press February 24).

One real need the old hospital could meet is to provide a venue for events of 100 to 150 people, for which there is a real shortage in the town, despite Minehead having rooms for use by small groups, a couple of useful church halls and of course The Regal for a bigger audience.

I believe the first floor of the hospital was once a ballroom - if the partitions between the former wards can be removed then we could have a concert hall and exhibition space of which the town could be proud.

The Minehead and West Somerset Arts Society would certainly consider holding concerts in such a space.

Now is the time for every organisation and every resident in the town to rally round and support this visionary project.

We only have a short window of opportunity to do this, otherwise this chance could be lost for ever and we shall see this impressive building at the heart of our town become just another block of "wrinkly flats".

Geoff Lloyd,

Chairman,

Minehead and West Somerset Arts Society.