HERE is the design for the new village hall at Bridestowe which will be on display for the first time tonight (Thursday) in the Methodist Hall.
Residents of the village are being invited along to see the plans by Chagford architect Alan van der Steen who has designed a rural style building for the
greenfield site on the edge of Bridestowe.
West Devon planners have given outline consent for a hall to be built on the site, which has an open aspect and scenic views to the moor, but stressed the need for it to be carefully designed to minimise its impact in the countryside.
Previous plans for a replacement village hall in the centre of Bridestowe were shelved earlier this year when the project failed to win lottery funding on two occasions.
Bridestowe Village Hall Committee, after public consultation, decided to sell off the old village hall site for housing development to raise funds for a hall project in a new location.
Mr van der Steen said the design this time round had to fit in with the rural landscape whereas on the last occasion the hall was in the middle of a residential area.
?We could not go with a typical slate roof village hall but a more agricultural-style building of an appropriate form which you would expect in this landscape,? he said.
Chairman of the village hall committee David Porter said the committee members had approved the design and now wanted to reveal it to the public.
?We want to keep residents informed all the way along as we feel this is the right scheme for the new development of the hall,? he said.
The emphasis of the new facility will be on the sports and the arts with a main area for badminton, indoor tennis and short mat bowls, which doubles up as a venue for theatrical and musical evenings.
?We will also have a small multi-purpose room for all the smaller events going on, such as coffee mornings, playing cards and meetings,? said Mr Porter.
?One of the added attractions of this site is the wonderful views across the valley.?
Tonight?s public meeting will begin at 7.30pm.