AN application to extend Gargrave Village Hall to form a resource centre has been forwarded to planning chiefs this week.

The plans, which have been submitted to Craven District Council's planning department, are the final stage of a campaign, which started more than two years ago with the original aim of saving the village's library facility.

It was back in September 1998 that villagers heard the shock news that the landlords of the previous library site had given notice to quit.

This news heralded the start of a fundraising campaign supported by the whole village community. The campaign had three main aims - to keep a static site for the library in the village, to raise the money to carry out the work and to create a multi-purpose resource centre.

A room adjacent to the gents' toilets in Gargrave Village Hall was converted into a library and the books reinstated. Now initial plans for the third stage, the resource centre, have been drawn up by the library working committee.

Members are looking at building a smaller centre attached to the village hall, which would include a larger library with some computer facilities, a parish room with archive storage, a social area and display lobby and a small kitchen.

The plans have been approved in principle by the management committee and the trustees of the village hall.

Stephen Lancaster, chairman of Gargrave Library and Resource Centre Project Group, said a questionnaire was to be distributed to villagers to gauge opinion and to ask them what they would like to see included in the centre.