Widecombe hall could be mini-theatre!

It will have 120-seater auditorium

A new community hall that will be able to accommodate a 120 seated audience with a stage in a Dartmoor village has been given the go-ahead.

Dartmoor National Park planners unanimously backed plans for the new hall and break-out space, to be built in the centre of Widecome-in-the-Moor.

Widecombe Community Hall CIO, wants the hall built on the currently undeveloped Hayes Field. It will allow a much wider range of community activities to take place in the village.

It will include a main hall, a multi-use room, a kitchen and bar, with a small parking area.

Chris Elliott, on behalf of the Widecombe Community Hall CIO, said that the proposal was been "50 years in the making" and that while there are some existing facilities in the village, they were not built for this purpose and that accessibility and comfort is lacking.

Peter Smerdon added: “Village halls are huge assets to villages and very well used, and when the hall is built, it will be a massive asset to the community.”

The scheme was recommended for approval, with officers saying: “This is a project which has been well researched and, in the main, supported by the wider community of Widecombe-in-the-Moor. While there are existing hall facilities in the village and at neighbouring Leusdon, both are aging facilities with limited accessibility.

“This is considered to be a development which meets sustainability objectives in that it will enhance local leisure opportunities, improve village infrastructure and support the economic and well-being of the resident community. These factors offset the limited harm resulting from the development of this site.”