LEVENS Parish Council are hopeful that their plans for the new village hall will start to see further progress soon as they start to see plots of lands selling in the area.

To raise funds for the build - which would see an idyllic new facility for the benefit of the community - the parish council put up three plots of land for sale on the land south of Wayside Cottage, Cotes and two plots on the former allotment land north of the Hare and Hounds pub, both of which have recently sold.

This recent sale is what gives the council hope of the building work starting soon, but with pricing change of pricing due to Brexit and Covid, which disrupted the build, may lead to a more decision making, one councillor has said.

"It is taking it's time and we need funding from various places to get that phase started and we already have some of that in place," Cllr Roger Mason said.

"We need to sell our land to fund the build.

"We just do not know now what the cost is going to be due to Covid and Brexit increasing prices.

"It is just a question of how and when now."

He went on to say how exciting this is for Levens as they still have plots of land near Wayside Cottage to sell as well.

Four new affordable homes are scheduled to be built on Underhill using the stone taken from levelling out of the land where the new village hall is going to be.

In addition to the eight homes on Sizergh Fell Quarry - the sale of land for which enabled the council to start construction - three affordable flats would be built on the site of the old village hall once the new one is complete.

This project has been a multi-agency approach involving the parish council, the WI, as well as grants from South Lakeland District Council and Homes England.

There is also a waiting list for the new allotments that Cllr Mason explained will replace the plots sold off by the council which he claimed are "wonderful in comparison".

Overall, this 'masterplan' for Levens village could feature a new village hall and 20 new homes in what is already a thriving community of more than 1000.

Cllr Mason believes that the area is going from strength to strength with the pub, shop, and playing fields all thriving at the moment.