VILLAGERS in Selby keen to see their disused hall given a new lease of life flocked to a meeting with church leaders proposing a joint enterprise.

Camblesforth Village Hall, in Brigg Lane, closed last year following a valiant but unsuccessful campaign to revive it.

For years it was a community hub, hosting many social groups. But as the building fell into disrepair, the groups went elsewhere.

Members of the village's Methodist Church held a meeting to discuss their proposal to build a new centre housing both a chapel and a new village hall.

About 40 people were at Sunday's meeting, called by Fiona Fenton, the steward at the Camblesforth chapel.

"It all goes back to a meeting held by the parish council last year," she said. "They wanted ideas about what to do on the site of the hall.

"I put my twopenny-worth in and said: Can't we use it?' so, I went to my ministers and asked them about it.

"The church has put a proposal forward that we have a shared building on the site with a designated area for worship."

She said the areas would have to be kept separate as alcohol is not allowed on Methodist Church premises, but she said this would not cause a problem.

"I do a lot of youth work and one of the issues in the village is that there are no facilities for teenagers," Mrs Fenton said.

"One of my first questions was: Why can't the building be used for work with young people?', and it sort of snowballed from there."

Carole Martin, the parish council clerk, said the council was interested in the joint scheme, which would be funded by both bodies.

She said the present hall was held in trust by the parish council and any decision on demolishing it and starting again would require further consultation.

She said: "The charity commission is involved because the village hall was set up as a trust by the man who gave the land to the parish in 1948."

She said the council was awaiting advice back from the commission on how to progress with developing the site.

The stage would then be set for formal proposals to be made to parish councillors, who act as trustees for the hall, she said.

Mrs Fenton confirmed the church would be making a formal proposal at the appropriate time.