A NEW 4,000 square foot auditorium could be part of a new scheme to redevelop Malmesbury town hall. There is just three weeks left of the three-month period North Wiltshire District Council gave the town to come up with a scheme or risk having the hall sold off to the highest bidder.

The auditorium has been mooted by the Town Hall Action Group, whose chairman, Ian Pollard, said underground parking and a performing arts centre were also being considered.

A previous plan was kicked out by the district council in early January after complaints by community groups that it would halve the available space in the town hall, which is the largest rental space in the centre of town available to the public.

A trust formed between the Civic Trust, Malmesbury Preschool and the Town Council is looking at retaining the town hall's facade but developing the site into a more useable space.

Two months ago the district council's Area One committee recommended the town hall should be put up for sale after English Heritage said it would only give its blessing to demolishing the grade II-listed building if it could be proven it was not marketable.

But time is running out. With only three weeks left before the deadline for receiving a concrete plan for redevelopment of the building, county councillor John Thomson has urged the district council to speed up its action.

He said: "We are still waiting for them to put the town hall up for sale and to put in an application for demolition."