A COUNTY Durham parish hall is planning to change its management in order to access funding for much-needed repairs.

St Mary's Church Hall, in Newgate, Barnard Castle, needs to upgrade its heating system, create disabled access and improve the kitchen and toilet facilities.

However, the church hall committee is unable to access funds, which are more readily available to community groups.

It has proposed to set up a Parish Hall Association which would not be an ecclesiastical organisation, and could apply for community grants.

The church council would lease the building to the association, which would assume the responsibility for running the hall for the benefit of the community.

The vicar of St Mary's Church, the Reverend Alec Harding, said: "We are in the process of drawing up a lease. Under charity rules, we can't lease it on a peppercorn rent, but it would be a favourable rent.

"The hall has not really had anything done to it since it was built in 1957 and the needs now are very different to what they were 50 years ago."

The hall is used by up to 30 groups, including the WI Market, Barnard Castle Band and the Lady Masons.

Any re-development would complement rather than compete with the proposed redevelopment of the town's Witham Hall, said Mr Harding.

A public meeting to launch the association is being held on Thursday, February 26, at 7.30pm in the Parish Hall Guild Room. Interested parties are welcome to attend.