THE Lister Hall, an historic and popular venue in Dursley, has been under threat of closure for the last five years as the Lister Club has struggled to meet the cost of bills and renovations.

The Gazette has launched a campaign to save the hall, which needs a substantial amount of money for refurbishment and repairs to the roof.

Gazette reporter Claire Marshall spoke to community organisation Vale Vision about its plans to save the hall and turn it into a community facility for Dursley's growing population.

OVER the next two years the population of Cam and Dursley will increase by at least 1,500 people.

Vale Vision, a community organisation in Dursley, is carrying out research to find out whether the Lister Hall could serve as a large community facility for the growing population of the town and surrounding villages.

A survey of households and businesses in Cam and Dursley found that more than three-quarters of people questioned believed there was a need for a large multi-purpose centre in the area.

Although Cam and Dursley already have small community centres for groups to hire, Vale Vision believe that once the Littlecombe development in Dursley is complete, the area will need a larger multi-purpose centre to meet all the needs of local residents.

Geoff Wheeler, from Vale Vision, said: "There will be at least 1,500 extra people in Dursley once the Littlecombe site is completed, which is a large growth in population. These extra people will need a large community facility.

"We need to see if there is enough public support to decide whether there is a viable case for renovating the Lister Hall."

The Vale Vision study, carried out in March 2007, surveyed nearly 400 residents in Dursley, Cam and surrounding areas and 80 local businesses and organisations.

Over 80 per cent of respondents said there was a need for a multi-purpose community centre in either Cam or Dursley.

They said the facility could be used for activities for young people, training, information and advice, film screenings, conferences, exhibitions, plays and concerts.

Mr Wheeler said: "The idea we have would be to use the Lister Hall as the large centre to serve the area, which will soon have a population of around 18,000 people.

"The building is already there, it just needs renovating. We are getting people to meet and put together a case for the future of the Lister Hall."