COMMUNITY groups have expressed concern that they will have nowhere to go if the proposed £1.2 million renovation of Malmesbury Town Hall cuts public space in half.

The review of the layout of the hall reduces community space from 500 square metres to 260 square metres, which North Wiltshire District Council has said is adequate.

Under the plan, the Market and Oxford Rooms will be lost as the former YMCA at the back of the building will be converted for use by Wiltshire College.

The Hobbes room on the first floor will remain, with its stage, and become the main area of community space, while the adjacent bar area will be reduced to allow a staircase, currently boarded over and used for storage by the museum, to be uncovered.

But community groups have voiced concern over the proposals.

Christine Mace, chairman of the amateur dramatics group the Athelstan Players, said they used the Oxford and Market rooms for storage and dressing rooms when putting on big shows.

She said: "I am very concerned about the reduction in space. Let's hope we have a future because less space in the town hall would seriously affect our ability to hold the big productions we are capable of."

Mrs Mace said there was nowhere else in Malmesbury where productions could be staged, because hiring the school at Corn Gastons was prohibitive.

The Lily Bank School of Dance has 200 members from the Malmesbury area. Teacher Geraldine Barnett said she was annoyed that she had received no information.

She said: "Nobody has contacted me about this at all. I have been in to the town hall and asked about the plans four times but nobody has got the decency to let me know.

"We use two rooms at the moment to hold classes so with just one room we would have to double our time in it. To find alternatives is very difficult."

The council intends to consult on the proposals in June to pave the way for building work to begin next year.