THE destiny of a bid to rejuvenate a Dales village hall could hinge on the outcome of a meeting in Richmond this afternoon.

The parish of Bolton cum Redmire, in Wensleydale, seemed to have overcome most of the obstacles in March, raising £6,000 towards the costs.

The remaining £60,000 was to come from a partnership between the EU, the county, district and parish councils, and the Countryside Agency.

Once grants were confirmed, it was hoped the scheme would lead to the renovation of the building, including a new roof, floor and windows, the installation of a central heating system and kitchen, a toilet for disabled people, and new plumbing and wiring.

However, since the spring, the basis of the funding package has changed, with a Countryside Agency grant of £9,800 removed from the equation.

The village hall committee has upped its contribution to £17,400 to compensate, but with overall costs rising to £71,500, the whole project - which seemed a certainty seven months ago - could now be in jeopardy.

Despite months of fundraising, the community remains almost £6,000 short of its target, with a vote by Richmondshire leisure chiefs this afternoon now crucial.

They will be asked to reduce the shortfall by increasing their contribution from just over £6,500 to £10,000.

Although it will still leave the project with a funding gap, some of the improvements could go ahead, with a new kitchen and flooring shelved for now.

The district's council's officers are recommending a bigger grant.

A report, penned by Mark Thorpe, says: "This group has successfully secured a great deal of funding for a worthy community project.

"Delivery of this project, either the main or the fallback scheme, now depends on the increased £10,000 Richmondshire District Council grant.

"This is an excellent opportunity for the complete refurbishment to go ahead while such large external funding exists."

Schemes starting in the following financial year might not benefit from such funding.