A LONG-awaited project to build a new community centre in Hatherleigh could be advanced if backers can agree a new funding package to meet a grant shortfall. Funders of the £1.5-million scheme held round table discussions this week aimed at finding ways to take forward the ambitious scheme to revitalise one of the areas of Devon most badly affected by foot and mouth disease in 2001. Devon County Councillors on Tuesday agreed to step in to make a £113.500 contribution to meet a shortfall in funding of the project. West Devon Borough councillors are set to discuss their slice of funding at a special meeting next Monday. The project faces a race against time as building work needs to start in September or early October. If not, the project will lose a vital portion of the funding it has already secured from the mini Sure Start scheme, but which is time constrained. The aim of the project is to build a new, multi-purpose centre to replace the existing town hall which is more than 100 years old. Such a centre would provide a focus for regeneration of the Hatherleigh area by providing accommodation for business advice, training, public ICT access, including broadband provision, a children?s centre and a wide range of sports facilities. County and borough councillor James McInnes said he was ?very hopeful? a funding package could be put together to bring the project forward. Cllr McInnes said: ?The pressure is really on, because work has to start in September or we will lose the Sure Start money.? ?After all the things Hatherleigh has been through, it is really important it has a community centre to try and revitalise the whole community. It will be helpful from a social point of view as well as for business.? Cllr Gary Bush, mayor of Hatherleigh, said he was positive the funding issues could be resolved and believed the scheme would be a ?big bonus? for the town. He said: ?The centre will cater for the whole community. ?The twelve parishes will make use of it as well. I think it will pull people in from further afield as well.? In order to allow the scheme to proceed while further grants are being sought, the county council executive committee meeting on Tuesday, agreed to make the contribution of £113,500. An additional suggestion that an indemnity be given to the contractors was deferred pending further investigations. Hatherleigh Town Council and West Devon Borough Council are both meeting next week to considering guaranteeing a contribution to help towards closing the gap in funding.
