HEATHFIELD community centre is playing 'a waiting game' for permanent facilities.
More than a year ago, the committee announced that a purchaser had been found for surplus land and to provide a new building with a hall, function room and a bar, but legal technicalities have halted procedures.
Solicitors acting on behalf of the purchaser – believed to be a housing association – have said that there are difficulties in the buying of land from nearby road haulage company Vallance Ltd, though an agreement has been made in principle for the company to sell off the yard-wide strip of land.
At present, centre users faced with a lack of facilities have expressed concern that if the situation is not resolved quickly, then the purchasers may pull out.
County councillor Nolan Clarke, a community hall committee member, said: 'Some members of the public have expressed concern that the developers might want to pull out if they cannot fulfil their building contracts in a reasonable time.
'It is unfortunate for the community and the management committee to be put through this based on legal technicalities,' he said.
Committee chairman, Bovey Tracey town councillor David Elphick, said that the purchaser walking away from the deal was 'not likely', because there are ways around the problems.
An outline planning application was received by Teignbridge council at the beginning of last year.
Councillors resolved to grant permission for the erection of dwellings at the community centre site, subject to a Section 106 agreement requiring a new community centre, education contributions and downstream water course improvements.
'We have been waiting more than a year. We were hoping to be up and running by now and the delay means that costs are going up all the time,' said Cllr Elphick.
The community centre has been blighted in the past by vandal and arson attacks.
It is hoped that permanent facilities may restore pride in the community.
Cllr Elphick said that a new hall will 'make all the difference in the world'.
He commented: 'Heathfield is of the opinion that they get the rough end of the stick and have been neglected by the local authority.
'This will be something to be proud of.'
He added that the presence of a community officer had made a huge difference to the number of incidents in the village.
'He has been very useful and thanks must go to him for providing Heathfield with a police presence,' said Cllr Elphick.