BELSTONE Village Hall?s renovation project is in jeopardy due to the unexpected failure of a funding application and a reduced amount from another. Hall secretary Hetta Pagley said the hall had a ?pivotal role? in village life. ?It meets the needs of young and old and of the wider community as well. It hosts a Post Office, youth group, cafe club, art exhibitions, yoga, community education and much more,? she said. There have been two completed phases of the renovation over the past ten years, the first adding a new entrance area with toilet and the second, three years ago, providing a rebuilt kitchen. The final phase will see the single storey room at the end of the hall remodelled into a committee-cum-rehearsal room with IT equipment and possibly an area to store the archive of historical information the village has built up, with storage space on the new first floor. There will also be new toilets for backstage use. ?With the new space and IT facilities we will be able to offer further education opportunities,? Mrs Pagley said, but the failure to obtain some hoped-for funding could ?imperil the project?. One grant for £15,000 has been turned down and £10,000 less than the amount applied for granted by another, leaving a shortfull so far of £25,000. The result of a final grant is still awaited, so the final shortfall may be even more. The whole last phase of the renovation will cost £135,000 plus VAT. All the preliminary work has been done, an architect engaged and a builder chosen. All the relevant permissions have been obtained and the hall will face financial penalties if there is a delay. The hall will be known to many walkers who take advantage of a cream tea there on a Sunday after taking a walk on the moor. Fundraisers are appealing for help in raising the necessary money so the planned improvements can go ahead. Anyone wishing to make a donation can send it to the treasurer, Chris Walpole, at Little Gables, Belstone, EX20 1RD. For information call secretary Hetta Pagley on 01837 840224.