ATTEMPTS to win a major cash boost for a village hall for the millennium have failed.

The bid, by Pool-in-Wharfedale's village hall committee, was this week turned down by the 21st Century Village Hall Fund.

But one of the figures behind the £70,000 scheme - to provide an extension with gym, showers, a changing room and family room - said a lottery bid was now being considered.

Ted Joce, who has co-ordinated the plan with the hall's development group, said: "Obviously I am disappointed but we still have a chance of another avenue in the lottery. We will call a meeting of the development group and they will decide whether we should continue this."

The Pool application was just one of more than 400 received by the association which narrowed the competition down to a shortlist of 67. "We had considerable competition," said Mr Joce.

He said he received news of the decision on Tuesday when the fund organisers also recommended the group apply for lottery money.

And he added that he had been encouraged by similar advice given to him by representatives at the national village halls conference held last Saturday.

Mr Joce said he was not admitting defeat quite yet.

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