Plans for a new £530,000 village hall for Longburton have now been submitted for planning consent and are now available for public comment.

Cam Vale Parish Council want to build the new hall and adjoining play area and car park on part of the site of the former Dorset County Council depot off Street Lane just off the main Dorchester to Sherborne road. The rest of the former depot land is to be developed with housing by the Aster Group.

The new hall application includes a car park for 14 vehicles with two disability spaces and space for six cycles. The two storey building, if granted permission, will replace the existing hall, a converted school building, which is now too small for the needs of the community.

Including in the new building will be space for a kindergarten, a meeting room, kitchen, store and toilets. Access to the hall will be via a new road which will be built by the Aster Group.

Financial backing for the hall has come from a £78,800 grant and a £20,000 loan from the former West Dorset District Council – the loan being repaid by the parish council over a 10-year period.

The parish council is hoping to find some of its share of the cost from the sale of the existing hall which is expected to be converted into a house.

The former county council had agreed in principle to pay £196,000 towards community facilities on the site.

The hall is expected to be large enough to play badminton unlike the existing hall which is unable to even cater for carpet bowls. Plans are also being made for table tennis, dancing and cinema, talks and demonstrations.

Comments on the scheme will be open until mid May via the Dorset Council website.