TWO vital community projects in West Devon that have twice failed to attract Lottery funding could be the subject of a high-level meeting in Westminster.

West Devon and Torridge MP John Burnett is pressing for a meeting with Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell to voice concern about the lack of Lottery cash for the two schemes: a new community centre at Hatherleigh and replacement of a condemned village hall at Bridestowe.

In a letter to Miss Jowell, Mr Burnett said he could not exaggerate the level of commitment locally to these projects,

He told her: 'The facts are that these fairly small communities have raised a significant amount of money towards all these schemes.

'These places have been economically and socially devastated by foot and mouth and they would all be considered deprived areas. Furthermore, they have suffered historically for many years from an absence of public investment.'

Mr Burnett has highlighted that in sparsely populated rural areas, there was little or no public transport and the village hall was essential to promote and sustain community life.

They included such things as doctors' surgeries and provision for the elderly such as chiropody, social activity for all ages, IT training, sports and entertainment.

'The multiplicity of village and town organisations we have in rural areas would die without a centre to enable them to function and village halls are also a great encouragement to tourism, with visitors drawn into events being held there,' he added.

The MP is concerned that the National Lottery, or Community Fund as it is now known, has changed the criteria for bids and is spending more money on projects normally funded by tax payers' money.

He will be tackling Miss Jowell over reports of unspent Lottery cash of £3.5-billion and asking why there seems to be an endeavour to divert Lottery funds away from the South West and rural areas.

Hatherleigh Town Hall management committee treasurer Brian Abell said a site had been bought for a new community centre with funds raised by the community to the tune of £20,000.

The centre would include many educational aspects and is seen as an essential element in helping to regenerate Hatherleigh, under the Market and Coastal Towns

Initiative.

'Our first lottery bid was to the Millennium Fund but the Eden Project got all the money for the South West that year,' said Mr Abell.

'Last time we thought foot and mouth would work in our favour but we failed again. We will keep trying but the goalposts now seem to have been moved which could make it even harder.'

Bridestowe Parish Hall was closed in October after it was condemned by health and safety experts — the hall committee wants £500,000 to replace it with a state-of-the-art facility overlooking the village green which has multiple uses.

Chairman of the committee Laura Leigh said the design for the new hall had won praise from the local authorities and it was what the whole community wanted. It had met all the criteria for Lottery funding but the board had simply said there was not enough money available.

'We are grateful to Mr Burnett for taking up our case because we, like him, have heard reports of all this unspent money and we only want a little slice of it.

'We have been promised donations from a number of sources but it is all on the condition that we get our core funding from the lottery.'

Mr Burnett is also to raise two other schemes in his constituency that are seeking Lottery cash: the refurbishment of Holsworthy Memorial Hall and a replacement hall at Chilsworthy.