A BID to create a £300,000 band hall and community centre for Wantage has taken a major step forward.

Council chiefs have given Wantage Silver Band a peppercorn rent for land at Tugwell Field, meaning it just has to raise the cash for the building. The band, which has more than 160 members, has been raising money for several years and has collected more than £150,000.

The group wants to build a practice centre which will be available to community groups and organisations too.

It has practised at temporary venues since both its headquarters at Newbury Street CofE School and then Garston Lane Primary School were demolished.

Eileen Sykes, bandmaster, said: “We have been homeless for about ten years now.

“We have several big bands and we have to pay to hire halls for all the practices and transport all the instruments. So life is quite hard at the moment. We look forward to having a permanent home for the band, and providing a useful facility for the community.”

She said now the band had secured the land it could start looking for grants and loans. It is hoped work will start next spring.

Councillor Richard Gibson, executive member for economic development at Vale of White Horse District Council, said: “This is a huge step forward for Wantage Silver Band and the culmination of many months of hard work to achieve legal and planning agreements.

“Wantage is now much closer to seeing this vital community facility become a reality.”

In 2008, the band was granted planning permission for the new building which will provide practice and storage facilities, as well as changing facilities for local football club, the Wantage Concords, who will play their home games on the Tugwell Field pitch.

The band has been homeless since 2003, and practices are currently split between Grove CofE School, East and West Challow village halls, the Charlton Centre and Childrey Methodist Church.

The field is on the eastern edge of Wantage, by the A417 road, near the Lord Nelson pub.