VILLAGERS were celebrating at the weekend after a locally-led project to redevelop their community hall reached fruition - six weeks earlier than planned.

Local Tory MP William Hague officially opened the new Eppleby and Forcett village hall, near Richmond, on Saturday.

The old hall was built in 1957 at a cost of £3,800 - almost a quarter of which was spent on a special wooden floor.

The new-look hall has taken more than £282,000 to create of which £268,000 came from the Lottery Charities Board's community fund.

The rest of the cash was made up by the county and district authorities - and the original 45-year-old floor was retained in the redevelopment. Project co-ordinator Alan Simpson said: "The aim was to give the local community modern amenities with sufficient space to support the existing groups and to offer additional opportunities for both young and old."

The redevelopment has seen extensions created on three sides of the hall. They include a new front entrance with disabled facilities, a rear extension including a new fully-fitted kitchen, new lavatories and a meeting room and storage area.

The hall has been refurbished and given new central heating, electrics and decor.

Exterior improvements include a full block-paved and surfaced carpark and entrance drive, safe-surfacing on the play equipment and external lighting.