Moffat Town Hall Redevelopment Trust has been awarded a grant from the Investing in Communities Fund of the Big Lottery.

The sum made available by the lottery is £127,636 and is to be used for Technical Assistance.

This will enable the Trust to contract Architects, Surveyors and other professionals within a design team to look at the best ways of redeveloping and refurbishing the Town Hall in order to meet the community's needs.

-- Advertisement --

In addition it will support the Trust in expanding its membership and communicating thoughts and ideas with people in Moffat and the surrounding area and help with discussions with Dumfries and Galloway Council regarding the future ownership of the Hall.

The grant is available until February 2009, by which time the Trust shall be in a position to put in a bid for funds for the refurbishment and redevelopment work to be undertaken. This will include a full business plan to ensure that the hall is sustainable after its redevelopment. The Trust hopes that the redevelopment work will start by the end of 2009.

Dr Peter Beck-Samuels, Interim Chairman of the Trust said: "This really is a major step forward. It gives us the funding necessary to convert the ideas that have been developing into real plans for the future of the hall. It is very exciting."

(GK/JM)