An East Lancashire village hall’s pothole-riddled car park has been given a £43,000 makeover.
The work at Aighton, Bailey and Chaigley Memorial Hall in Hurst Green was paid for with a grant from the Government’s Rural England Prosperity Fund.
It involved the resurfacing of its car park and the installation of additional playground equipment for local children.
The hall is a much-valued meeting place for isolated residents in the village, while Hurst Green is a major stop on the Tolkien Trail, which attracts visitors from throughout the UK who use its car park as they explore the countryside which inspired the world of The Lord of the Rings.
The Rural England Prosperity Fund, administered locally by Ribble Valley Borough Council, aims to strengthen the rural economy by supporting capital projects that boost small businesses or improve community infrastructure.
The hall was opened in 1965 as a war memorial and is a major meeting place for Hurst Green residents, as there are no shops in the village and a very limited bus service.
Known locally as the ABC, it is used by the Women’s Institute, a play group, and a youth club, it hosts dance classes and is the home of Hurst Green Football Club.
ABC Memorial Hall chair, Niall Macfarlane, said: “Our aim is to provide a venue that brings people together and builds strong relationships in the community, through inclusive social, sports and leisure activities.
“The hall is a much-valued facility that is helping to improve the health and wellbeing of our residents, by addressing loneliness and isolation.
“We are delighted to receive this grant, which has enabled us to bring much-needed improvements to the car park and adjacent playground, and I would like to thank Aighton, Bailey and Chaigley parish council chair Margaret Carrington for her work on the scheme and Ribble Valley Borough Council for processing our application.”