RESIDENTS of Bere Alston are celebrating securing enough funding to begin the construction of their new community hub.

The major two-storey extension to the existing 100-year-old parish hall is the result of a £270,000 funding boost from Devon County Council's 'Investing in Devon' Programme — money generated from the proceeds of the sale of Exeter Airport.

The expansion, measuring more than 250 square metres, will transform the existing building into a fit-for-purpose community resource. It will house a childcare centre, new community meeting and training rooms, IT suite and kitchen, along with offices for the parish council.

The Bere Alston Regeneration Partnership, Bere Ferrers Parish Council and West Devon Borough Council have been working alongside the local community for five years to raise the £400,000 required to begin construction.

A further £14,000 is needed to cover the cost of the full range of fixtures and fittings in order to complete the project.

Sara Pike, secretary of the Bere Alston Regeneration Project, which is a registered charity, said the project trustees were 'absolutely thrilled and so excited' that the money had come together and they could move forward with the building.

'This is just the start of the regeneration and the beginning of a long journey, which will hopefully include a youth worker and business support officer,' she said. 'This is not just about the building. The whole community will be affected by bringing the new facilities to the village.

'We have been so near to getting this in the past but it has fallen through, but this time it has come together.'

Sara said the hall would only be closed for a maximum of four weeks during term times, but probably more during holidays, so that the childcare facility — which has received a good Ofsted report — could continue to operate.

The parish council, which owns the hall, will lease it to the project for a 25-year period.

Bere Alston's County Councillor Philip Sanders said it was a 'real achievement' for the community and the final building would be 'fantastic — a valuable asset for the local community and the surrounding areas for generations to come.'

Work is due to start early next year, with completion scheduled for July 2010.

Other contributors to the project are South West RDA's Greater Dartmoor Local Enterprise Action Fund, West Devon Borough Council's Village Hall Fund, Tamar Valley ANOB Sustainable Development Fund and the local community through Bere Ferrers Parish Council.