THE dream of a £500,000 community centre on a Melksham housing estate has moved one step closer to reality.

Residents living on the Forest estate have been battling for a multi-purpose community centre built on land off Awdrey Avenue for five years.

Securing Regional Development Agency funding to recruit Gloucester-based architect Quatro, the Forest Community Hall working group is now preparing to draw up business plans to secure the project's future.

Visiting other community centres around the county for ideas, the working group will use detailed business plans to apply for lottery funding later this year.

Around £40,000 has already been secured from property developer Newland Homes to put towards the half-million pound scheme.

Cllr Vic Oakman said the community centre would provide vital facilities to a large section of the town's population.

It would include sports changing rooms, a dance hall and an area set-aside for religious purposes.

He said: "It has been ongoing for five to six years but the residents have been fully consulted about the scheme over the past year.

"There has been a bit of a battle with the Environment Agency as the building will be on floodplain land but we hope to get plans to the district council soon.

"At the moment we are in the process of drawing up business plans to get lottery funding.

"It is a massive project for the people living on the Forest estate."