RESIDENTS of a Darlington village have stepped in to save their community centre from closure.

The future of the building in Middleton St. George looked bleak after Darlington Borough Council withdrew its annual grant from rural halls last year.

Villagers feared the former pumping station would be demolished and the land developed into flats, but at a meeting last week almost 30 residents met to discuss how it could be saved.

The centre's management committee did not attend the meeting but its members are expected to tender their resignations.

An interim management committee was formed and a plan put in place to raise funds and increase the centre's membership.

Coun Doris Jones said: "It would be devastating to see the community centre demolished and turned into a block of flats.

"We are determined to save it and we turned up to the meeting with a rescue plan."

Although the centre has lost its £4,500-a-year council grant, the parish council has agreed to provide £3,000.

Villagers are being urged to take out £3-a-year membership.

New chairman Martin Walker said: "People don't want to lose the community centre, nor do they want it replaced by flats. But to save it we need to raise its profile and people have got to use it and contribute with a couple of quid."

The committee hopes to raise the rest of its £7,000-a-year running costs by encouraging more events and activities in the hall.

Mr Walker said: "At the moment we are not certain of the current financial situation but what we don't want to do is lose the activities going on there at the moment. If the centre shuts, there may be no going back."

Ian Kirkbride, who resigned from the management committee, said the centre should be sold and the proceeds be used for other projects in the village.

He said: "The trustees were going to sell for £200,000. We had three developers interested. That money could have been invested and spent on different projects such as the football field or a new play area.

"The village is also in need of affordable housing and these flats could have provided that."

Middleton St. George is not the only centre facing possible closure. Villagers in nearby Sadberge are also being asked to stump up £2-a-year membership to save their hall, which has lost its £1,900-a-year grant.

Sadberge Parish Council chairman Beatrice Cuthbertson said: "I'm hoping people will help to save it. We really have a very nice village hall and it's an integral part of the community."