CLAYHIDON Parish Hall’s new roof has been completed – after months of delay caused by the discovery of nesting bats.

It is the first part of the hall committee’s ambitious plans to upgrade the 125-year-old former schoolroom and they celebrated by inviting donors and helpers to a ‘thank you’ reception.

Generous support to the tune of £25,600 came from Viridor Credits who covered the cost of replacing most of the original Welsh slates with new Spanish ones.

But when Wellington roofers Courtney Bowden & Son began removing old slates last summer, they discovered brown long-eared bats roosting in the space behind the old school bell.

The work could not continue until the whole roof had been surveyed for bats, a licence obtained from Natural England and steps taken to protect the bats from future disturbance.

Hall chairman Gareth Weekes thanked Nick Bright and Cllr Vivienne Stock-Williams, from Viridor Credits South West Steering Group, for a grant which had paid for a “beautiful new roof” that would protect the building from the elements into the 22nd century.

“Their generous support has been an inspiration to us,” he said.

He also thanked Richard Drew, who donated funds raised through Drewfest, Alex Hill, who paid for most of the unexpected environmental costs incurred by the discovery of bats, and Richard Kallaway, chairman of Clayhidon Parish Council, who had given unstinting support to the hall.

Work on the next stage - building an extension behind the stage to house new toilets, an archive room for the Local History Group and a performers’ changing room and meeting room – is due to start in July.

Meanwhile fundraising to pay for the work is about to resume in earnest.