Councillors are hoping that Steeton’s newly-built community hub will be open by the end of February.

The £220,000 building next to the bowling green, off Skipton Road, was erected at the end of November.

According to Coun David Mullen, chairman of Steeton-with-Eastburn Parish Council, work on the interior of the building is progressing.

He said the work that was yet to be completed included the installation of locks and a partition door to divide the rooms.

“Until these issues are resolved, we can’t officially open it,” said Coun Mullen.

“We had our last parish council meeting there so we can use the building, but we can’t hire it out yet.”

And Coun Mullen is eagerly anticipating the official opening of the building, which has been funded by a bequest and a number of grants.

“It’s taken us four years to get to this point,” he said. “We had our first meeting about it at the beginning of 2009.”

Coun Mullen said the former bowling pavilion was demolished in December and the site would be used for car parking.

“It is another positive to come out of the project,” he said. “We’ve gone from having no parking to having a car park with five spaces.”

He said once the community hub was officially opened, the parish council would turn its attention to making improvements to a play park at the side of the building.

“The park is very old and tired,” said Coun Mullen. “A whole refurbishment with new equipment could cost in the region of £50,000.”

He said the council would be seeking to offset the costs by applying for grants.