Village hoping for handover of hall after two-year deadlock

The facility was built in Cowling by Skipton Properties as part of an agreement when the firm was given planning permission for a housing development at Acre Mill.

But the "shell of a building" – which has not been completed inside – has lain dormant for around two years.

However, frustrated villagers could see some movement on the building's future if Craven District Council agrees to hand it over to Cowling.

The council's planning committee will be advised to grant a request by Skipton Properties to vary the Section 106 agreement when it meets on Monday.

Cowling Village Hall Management Committee secretary Anne Hinckley, said: "The management committee would like that Craven Council votes in favour of the hall being handed over to Cowling.

"The village hall committee is preparing a business plan and is investigating options for raising the funds to complete the new hall but you cannot apply for funds until you have the deeds for the hall."

But Cowling Parish Council would like to see enforcement action taken to ensure that the hall is completed, or that a lump sum is provided by Skipton Properties.

Cowling parish councillor Andy Lynch, who chairs the parish council's village hall working group, said: "The best thing that could happen is that the developer fulfils its promise and finishes the hall off to the agreed specifications.

"Of course, Skipton Properties are entitled to ask for these amendments.

"But it is still down to Craven Council to decide whether they are allowed them or not. We are in the hands of Craven Council.

"We have been told that the village hall will need about 300,000 to get it up to a functioning building. It's just a shell of a building, it does not even have a floor in it.

"The villagers were promised it. It was due to be delivered, I think, last July. It has been standing as a shell for about two years and it does not seem to have any signs of being finished off.

"There is a church hall in the village and there's the existing village hall – it's still functioning but it does not have disabled access and it has some structural defects."

A report to the planning committee said: "When planning permission was granted for the development of land at Acre Mill the housing market was very buoyant and there would have been an expectation of higher yields.

"However even then it would have been very ambitious to expect that profits from the development of 31 houses would have been sufficient to totally finance the provision of a new village hall including the land where total costs would have exceeded 500,000 and even though no affordable housing was to be provided."

The report adds that the village hall management committee is prepared to take on the village hall in its existing state.

"It is realistically the best option as they will have opportunities to apply for grant funding as well as use any proceeds from the sale of the existing hall.

"There is a risk that there will be a funding shortfall for some time but this is something they are prepared to accept in the circumstances," the report said.

The committee will be advised to allow the Section 106 planning obligation to be varied to allow ownership of the new village hall in its current state to be handed over to Cowling Parish Council.

The parish council is acting as the custodian trustee of a charity known as Cowling Village Hall, whose managing trustees are the Cowling Village Hall Management Committee.