THE village hall, which has been the heart of Whitchurch for nearly a century, may have to close as it no longer meets many of the health and safety regulations.

And villagers say they are running out of patience waiting for financial backing from the local authorities.

Last year, the hall lost a substantial grant worth about £20,000 from the Foundation of Sport and the Arts because West Devon Borough Council turned down an application for funding.

Two other village amentities, the adjacent gym and public toilets have already been shut down on safety grounds.

The village hall trustees have been fundraising for over seven years and to date have raised about £41,000.

Chairman of the trustees Kit Thomas said: 'This is the third application to the borough council and Devon County Council in four years and hopefully this year it will be third time lucky.

'Without their backing we will be unable to get further funding from other sources.'

The hall needs to be completely rebuilt as it has become uneconomic to maintain the fabric of the building. The roof, windows, floors, toilets, kitchen, electrics and heating system all need urgent attention.

The current cost of rebuilding the hall is £175,150 and would provide a larger main hall, integral committee/meeting room, access and facilities for the disabled and a kitchen which would meet current hygiene requirements.

The trustees are pursuing grant aid from the Charity Lotteries Board but the success of the application depends on support from the borough council.

'The loss of the hall would further damage the sense of village identity and community life,' said Mrs Thomas.

'Because of its condition, we have, for the time being, lost users such as brownies, guides, scouts, play group and the Ladies open group. It is no longer an attractive venue for wedding receptions and parties. This is such a shame as many people got married in the village hall in the past but now its so shabby and the toilets are a disgrace.'

Mrs Thomas said the trustees had every reason to believe that a re-built hall would be more than well used — and not only by Whitchurch-based organisations.

'It would certainly restore a facility to the community that has been much valued in the past.'

l The next fundraising event is the Christmas Bazaar on November 20 which will be officially opened by West Devon and Torridge MP John Burnett at 2pm.