15874/10GAZETTE & HERALD: Derriads Barn has been standing wasted and empty for eight years because North Wiltshire District Council has been sitting on its hands, according to Colin Booth, chairman of the barn's trustees.

The barn, on Drake Crescent, Cepen Park South, dates back to the 18th century and was bought for the princely sum of £1 by North Wiltshire District Council in May 1997 in the hope of creating a community facility for Cepen Park.

But eight years later nothing has happened except vandalism and decay of the structure.

Mr Booth blamed the district council for the complete lack of progress.

"They've done absolutely nothing," he said. "Biddestone has a population of 500 and they have a village hall. Cepen Park has 5000 and we have nothing. It's not fair. Pewsham has a lovely community centre but Cepen Park North and South have been totally ignored."

The barn has come into the spotlight once more because the district council's executive committee will consider a range of options about the future of the building.

These include supporting the trust in its efforts to raise funding, and to consider part-funding the project, or applying for the building's listing to be removed so the barn can be torn down and left as open space or even to admit defeat and hand the site back to the developer.

The cost of repairing and converting the barn has been estimated at £880,000. Back in 1999 the district council set aside £191,000 to support a bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) to convert the barn, but this was rejected in May 1999 and the district council's money reallocated.

In early 2000 a trust was set up with local residents with the objective of establishing what the local community wanted and to raise funds for it.

Work was also undertaken in June 2001 to secure the building from vandals and make it safe.

But the barn project remained in the doldrums and in 2003 a number of trust members resigned.

Now Coun Tim Northey wants the project to get into gear again and has put forward a radical proposal to tear down the barn and build a new community hall, which he reckons would cost about half as much.

"It is criminal that in an area which is crying out for community facilities that this building has been allowed to remain derelict for nearly ten years," he said. "In my opinion it is a building of little architectural merit and rather than spend £1 million restoring it for community use, it would be better to demolish the barn and erect a purpose built community facility for half the price."

But Mr Booth was adamant the district council should put forward the £191,000 originally promised to support a new lottery fund bid.

"I'm sure we could raise the money. If an HLF lottery bid is not accepted we will look elsewhere."

He was also scornful of Coun Northey's involvement.

"The man hasn't even had the courtesy to talk to the trustees," he said. "He hasn't bothered to come along to a meeting."

The plans for the community hall did meet some early opposition from people living close to the barn but a survey to every household in the catchment area of 2840 homes indicated only 26 people were opposed to the community facility.