A museum devoted to the Cottingley Fairies is part of a plan to revamp historic Cottingley Town Hall as a community arts and education centre.

Spurred on by the recent publicity surrounding the Cottingley fairies and the film Fairy Tale - A True Story, a working party is planning to give the 133-year-old building a facelift.

David James, part of the Cottingley Community Association team behind the ambitious plans, said: "Our aim is to revive the community spirit and expand on the original concept of the town hall. Cottingley has got this mystique now because of the fairies so it's the ideal time to be doing this."

He and other members of the community association are to meet officers from Yorkshire and Humberside Arts with a view to putting together a bid for a YHA grant or National Lottery money towards the project.

Mr James said the revamped town hall could also be used for educational workshops in music and visual arts, exhibitions, school projects, performances and children's facilities.

The town hall has already become the venue for a Monday morning drop-in centre which has been a resounding success since it was launched five weeks ago. The building, which was completed in 1865, was designed as a schoolhouse and a venue for Christian preaching meetings.

The chapel remains a place of worship today but villagers say the town hall has been generally underused in recent years.

Maurice Atack, lay pastor and church secretary, said: "The population of Cottingley has increased tenfold since the town hall was built but the sense of community spirit which made it possible has sadly diminished."

John Yeadon, chairman of the community association said he wanted to make Cottingley a place worth visiting rather than an urban backwater of Bradford. "We are expecting an influx of people wanting to come to Cottingley having seen the film but to be honest there isn't anything when they get here."

The use of the building for filming has helped fund repairs and town hall trustees are considering using land behind the building as a car park to generate more money.

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