THE HEADTEACHER of Lympstone Primary School has supported plans to modernise the village hall – claiming the building is in a poor state and riddled with damp. Tony Priest has backed the calls following the launch of an appeal to raise in the region of �

THE HEADTEACHER of Lympstone Primary School has supported plans to modernise the village hall - claiming the building is in a poor state and riddled with damp.

Tony Priest has backed the calls following the launch of an appeal to raise in the region of �20,000 for critical repair work to be carried out at the hall in Church Road.

The total cost of work needed has been estimated at around �90,000 and will be undertaken in three phases.

Mr Priest said: "I think the hall is in a relatively poor state. It is in a particularly poor state in terms of its size.

"The amount of space that is available for a hall which tries to serve a wide range of clubs and institutions, daytime, nighttimes and weekends, is not really there. It desperately needs some investment.

"The space that the school uses for gym equipment for instance and dining tables, is woefully inadequate, riddled with damp and occasionally rodent infestation. It's quite inappropriate really.

"It is not at all the fault of the village hall management committee because they haven't got the funds at the moment to provide anything better."

The committee, however, said it had been absolutely delighted with an excellent response to the appeal for funds launched last month.

In the first ten days after its launch they received more than �5000. Lympstone Parish Council has agreed to give �20,000 towards the project and a number of people have promised donations.

Mr Priest added: "It is a building that only partially meets the needs of our community because it is a very lively village with loads going on.

"In its current state, at the very least it needs refurbishment and redecorating. It's not fit for the 21st century at the moment that's for sure.

"I would like to see our children have a much better hall for all the day-to-day things a school needs such a building for. It provides them at the moment, but not very well."

Alison Hickson, who lives in the Strand, said the village hall was integral part of village life. But, she added: "It was built in the 1930s and does need a lot of work doing to it."

Jean Young, who also lives in the Strand, said: "I am looking forward to the day when it has been modernised, particularly the kitchen.