BRANSCOMBE Village Hall will soon have a new roof and heating system thanks to two grants being awarded in quick succession. The village hall committee was told on Friday the Community Council of Devon has awarded it �28,000- or one third of the cost of r

BRANSCOMBE Village Hall will soon have a new roof and heating system thanks to two grants being awarded in quick succession.

The village hall committee was told on Friday the Community Council of Devon has awarded it �28,000- or one third of the cost of replacing the roof.

This triumph comes only weeks after the committee found out it had been successful in its application to the Low Carbon Buildings Programme Phase 2 for a �37,500 grant- which will go towards the installation of an environmentally friendly ground source heat pump and photo voltaics.

The committee has also been promised a �30,000 grant by EDF Energy-meaning the roof fund will only pay �7,500 towards the renewable energy as well as five per cent VAT and �20,000 towards essential internal plumbing.

Paul Newman, chairman of the village hall committee, said: "We are all delighted and everybody is in a buoyant mood. We have been waiting a fair while for a sizeable grant for the roof which tops up the herculean fund raising efforts by the people of Branscombe over the last few years. It means we can now get on with the roof and this year can be a year of big improvements."

It is now full steam ahead for the committee which is planning to carry out the works in two phases.

Paul added: "Depending on the contractors, we would like to start work on the roof in April, which will take six to eight weeks, and then start installing the renewables in late September.