Potterne residents 'confident' school will be converted into hub

The Patch community group fundraised to buy Potterne's former primary school building

A group of volunteers are confident a former primary school will be converted into a community hub in 2024.

Potterne Primary School, near Devizes in Wiltshire, closed in 2019 and residents have been fundraising to buy the building.

It is hoped the site will be used as a venue for events and activities and will include a local café.

But one of the project directors, Bob Berry, said: "Things have been much harder than we envisioned it to be."

The new site, called The Patch, was due to open in 2023, but Mr Berry said the cost of living crisis had made it more difficult for them to raise the money.

However, their original £120,000 cost to buy the building, which he described as "extraordinarily cheap", was reduced to £105,000, after they found they needed to raise additional funding for things like fire doors.

The group said is now has "sufficient funds" and its purchase offer has been accepted.

"Solicitors are now under instruction, and we hope for completion by the end of January 2024 latest."

The school closed in 2019 due to falling numbers and pupils were moved to the neighbouring village school in Worton

Mr Berry, who is a builder, explained the money had been raised via a crowdfunding campaign, with contributions from the local council and donations from a few "wealthy individuals" who believe in the project.

He told BBC Wiltshire there is already a village hall in Potterne, so the space will offer more, such as the ability to put on concerts.

Mr Berry said the community group has "some confidence" that the site will be in use within the year.

He added that there are quite a lot of builders in Potterne and it "would be nice" to get the community to contribute towards the conversion.