A VILLAGE hall which has served a community for more than 70 years looks set to be demolished and replaced with a new version.

East Lothian Council has given permission to Oldhamstocks Community Association for the existing building to be torn down.

At the same time, plans for a new venue which will be “relevant to the next three or four generations of residents and visitors to the village” have been given the green light.

Chris Bruce, chairman of East Lammermuir Community Council, which covers the village, previously described the hall as “critical”.

When the plans were lodged, he said: “It is where people get together.

“The church is just about to be sold and what would be left? Nothing, just houses.”

READ MORE: Plans are revealed for new Oldhamstocks Village Hall

The village hall dates back to 1952 and has served the community for more than 70 years.

However, operational costs have become “an increasing burden” and it requires regular maintenance.

A new village hall looks set to be created in Oldhamstocks (Image: Copyright Jennifer Petrie and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.)

The new version includes a main hall, as well as a meeting space and kitchen.

An accessible toilet, in addition to male and female toilets, will also be included in the building, which will feature attic storage.

The design statement reads: “The proposed new village hall is inevitably a larger building than the original one but it is capable of providing so much more, now and into the future, to a community that cares passionately about the spatial and environmental nature of the village and the vibrancy of the community in which they live.

“The proposal will create a focus for the conservation and sustainability of both the sense of place, the sense of community and the diversity of lifestyles that exist in Oldhamstocks through the creation of an enhanced village hall which will be relevant to the next three or four generations of residents and visitors to the village.”

The play area, currently in front of the building, will also be relocated to alongside the hall.

Although no formal objections were lodged with the local authority’s planning department, they did receive a letter regarding the plans.

The planning officer’s report, which notes that East Lammermuir Community Council had no issue with the proposals, reads: “It states that the amenity space to the rear of the new village hall building will be a publicly accessible area which creates the potential for people to congregate/smoke there and which may raise issues of privacy and security to the occupiers of a neighbouring property.

“It states that the proposed relocation of the play park area does not seem well thought through, as the current layout provides an open aspect where children can be seen and can play in the park and village green, which adds to their safety.

“It states that this element of the proposal allows for children to play in the amenity space behind the building, out of sight, especially when the building is not in use.”