Designs will be on display and a team from the church, including the Rev Mark Ward, will be there to answer any questions

Sidmouth Herald: Artist's impression of how the new church hall will look. Picture: NDM ArchitectsArtist's impression of how the new church hall will look. Picture: NDM Architects (Image: NDM Architects)

Newton Poppleford’s St Luke’s Church hall, destroyed by arson back in 2010, is finally about to rise from the ashes.

Work on a new building is expected to start in the spring or summer of this year, after a successful planning application and fundraising campaign.

The designs for the building, called The Meeting Place, will be on show at a drop-in event at the church between 10am and noon on Saturday, January 26.

Churchwarden Haylor Lass said so far, £170,000 of the target £200,000 had been raised, thanks to the insurance money and some very generous donations from local people. “Otherwise, it would have been an awful lot of jumble sales.”

Planning permission for the building, designed by the Seaton firm NDM Architects, was granted in October, subject to a slight change in the slope of the roof.

The event on the 26th is an informal chance to chat about the new building over coffee and biscuits. The Rev Mark Ward and a team from the church will be on hand to talk about the designs and answer any questions.