AFTER years of speculation it looks as though work to replace Cinderford's Miners Welfare Hall is about to forge ahead.

The Homes and Communities Agency looks set to allocate £1.5 million to completely rebuild the community hall next year.

In the February meeting the steering group formed to look into the project voted to knock the hall down and start again, saving some of the historic and cherished items for the new building.

Cinderford regeneration manager Wendy Jackson said: "It is not a complete demolition job. We do respect the heritage within the building and the mining history that it represents. Cinderford's past will be designed into the future space."

Among the treasures that will be preserved are the ticket booths filmed in Dennis Potter's film Pennies from Heaven, the maple sprung dance floor and the foundation stones at the front of the building.

To secure the funding there will need to be some match funding from the local community. Cinderford town council are giving £10,000 towards the project and the Miners Welfare Hall Committee also plans to give some funds.

Mrs Jackson said: "There has been no formal funding approval at this stage, but we have to submit a report by the end of the month to set out the project leaders, the team and the roles and responsibilities."

The new centre will combine space for existing users as well as offering a potential site for commercial tenants.

Mrs Jackson said: "A number of organisations including health and education related concerns have expressed an interest in the commercial leases.

"We are hoping for tenants to take leases of 10 or 20 years. They have the chance to almost have the spaces purposely designed for them."

The new building will conform to the latest environmental standards and the committee is considering a carbon neutral wood chip boiler to heat the centre.

Funding is due to be finalised around the end of April or the beginning of May, the consultation and design process is planned for the summer months and planning permission should be sought later in the year.

If all goes to plan, work should start early in 2010.