A new youth club is to be created in Burley-in-Wharfedale as part of an ambitious three-stage revamp of the Queen's Hall.

Details of plans to convert the historic building into a more modern focal point for the whole village were unveiled at Burley Community Council's AGM last Thursday.

Burley has been without a meeting place for the young for more than a year now, ever since the old club venue in Sun Lane was closed down after falling into a state of disrepair.

Ilkley Parish Councillor Bob Jones, chairman of Burley's Youth Forum, told an audience of more than 100 people at Burley Oaks school that new plans about to be submitted to Bradford Council could create a vibrant new focal point for the community.

Speaking after the meeting, he said: "After Sun Lane closed we carried out a feasibility study to see what could be done for the youth of the village and the main option which came out of that was to make more use of the Queen's Hall.

"It is underused at the moment so we thought why not use its annex for the new youth club, and now we have had plans drawn up showing how it could be refurbished as both a youth club and community centre.

"This would be a three stage development, the first of which would be creating the youth club in the Hall's annex, to the right of the main entrance.

"That would mean ripping out the existing kitchen and turning it into a computer and IT room, which would be available for the whole community, and turning the cloakroom area into a coffee-bar and lounge area, with a new, modern kitchen in between.

"The idea is to create somewhere attractive for the young that could be open two or three times a week as the first part of a project to give a quite stunning, and different tone to the Queen's Hall and provide a tremendous community facility."

Presented to the village in 1868 by mill owners John Forster and William Fison, the Queen's Hall is currently used by the Millennium Theatre Group, badminton players and several voluntary clubs.

Under its new guise it would also be a home for other sports and martial arts clubs.

The second stage of the redevelopment would revolve around the main hall and stage area and see new changing rooms built, the fire exit moved and storage units for sports and stage equipment added onto the balcony.

But the most ambitious part of the project is stage three, which would convert the existing main entrance into a large kitchen with a caf and buffet area, and create a new glass front behind the two stone memorial crosses.

Costs are still being finalised, but Coun Jones says that for stage one the Youth Forum will be applying to Bradford Council for a sum equivalent to whatever it raises from selling the Sun Lane site.

He said: "We are quite confident of receiving that grant, and as control of the Hall looks likely to pass from Bradford to Burley, whoever takes over it would also have to carry out a degree of refurbishment anyway.

"But for the second two stages I think we would also be looking at seeking grant applications and fund-raising to pay for them."

Young people in the village have already thrown their weight behind the plans by volunteering to stage a fund-raising music concert at the Hall for each month of the coming year.

Youth Forum member Elaine Thompson is leading the scheme and has been given responsibility for finalising the architectural plans and estimated expenses.

She said: "We will give the Users Group from the Hall the first look at the plans when we meet with them on July 1.

"When the Hall was originally given to the village it was with the intention that it be used as a "place of recreational pursuit", so this should fulfil that by bringing it back to standard so it can be used by everyone.

"And for the youngsters point of view, it should make it more the kind of place that they will want to go and use."