A NEW community office in the former police house at Masham could be ready by next summer if plans and funding come together.

An open meeting called in Masham on Tuesday to update local people on the project was told that permission for change of use had been given by Harrogate Borough Council and a priority was to identify sources of funding towards the estimated £50,000 cost.

Mashamshire community office steering committee hopes to win half the funding from European and government sources, with the rest coming from local grants and donations.

John Smith's brewery has given £1,000, which has been matched by the Masham 2001 group. The local WI, one of the groups which will use the community office, is selling its present meeting place and has said it will give a proportion of the proceeds.

It is envisaged that both floors of the 111-year-old police house, which is to be rented from the force, will be given over to the community office.

The police, who will help with the cost of refurbishment, will keep one room on the upper floor, where there will also be small meeting rooms and an IT suite with internet access.

On the ground floor, a large open area will be created by knocking down walls to make accommodation for a community advice centre and a tourist information office.

The steering committee has been meeting monthly since it was set up following an initial public meeting last December. The plans considered on Tuesday were prepared from the results of a questionnaire designed to establish the potential level of community use for the police house.

Mr Mark Cunliffe-Lister, chairman of the committee, said: "The response to the questionnaire reassured me that a centre was needed. Nothing has been set in stone with our plans, which were put to Harrogate council simply to try to get permission for change of use, which has been granted.

"There have been other suggestions about what could be accommodated in the community office, but there seems to be general agreement on the plans produced so far. We now have to work out a tenancy agreement and draw up our constitution.

"We have to get funding in place and try to start work early next year to have the office ready by next summer.

"Funding is a quagmire. There are funds out there, but it is a case of finding those which are relevant."

Mr Cunliffe-Lister said the steering committee had received valuable advice from County Coun John Blackie about the operation of the existing upper Wensleydale community office at Hawes and about another planned in the former Barclays bank at Reeth