A £1.5-MILLION project to build a new village centre in Princetown has received a £10,000 boost from Dartmoor National Park. Planning permission for the centre was granted last summer but the project cannot move forward to the next stage until £45,000 is secured to get building regulations drawn up and structural reports completed. High Moorland Community Action, which is leading the project, is hoping other local authorities will follow the lead of DNPA. Community development manager Jenny Coleman said: 'It is good we have got this money and we are hoping others like the borough and county council will do likewise. 'Things have ground to a halt since last summer and it's a case of New Year, new action.' One third of the capital funding for the project is in place and many applications have been submitted for the remainder — but funding bodies like Sport England are waiting for further details about first floor layout and changing rooms. 'We can't move forward until this work is done and we are at the tender ready stage,' added Mrs Coleman. 'Ideally we would have liked to have started the building work this year but realistically it could be next year now. The village centre has been backed by the South West Regional Development Agency, which has confirmed a grant offer of £300,000, and will provide a venue for a huge amount of community activities. It will house the doctor's surgery and other health services, library, playgroup and a planned satellite Children's Centre. There will be training facilities and a hall for gigs and theatrical productions. The centre will be built on a site behind the primary school, in the corner of the playing field. It will also provide changing facilities for the adjacent pitches. The action group has raised £5,500 towards the scheme so far and has plenty of ideas up its sleeve to boost funds, including a Buy a Brick Campaign.
