Coastal residents in north Norfolk have begun making plans for a new village hall to replace their doomed current building, predicted to fall off the cliff edge into the sea below.

Trimingham Parish Council has submitted a planning application for a new hall which they want to site on the landward side of the coast road, west of Staden Park.

And this Monday, August 22, will see the first event organised by a newly-formed committee aiming to fund-raise for the project.

Since 1935 the village hall has been the Pilgrim Shelter, a building seating about 25 people built by the local vicar to boost church and social life, as well as being a resting place for pligrims en route for Walsingham.

But coastal erosion means that the shelter, about 20ft from the cliff edge, only has 20 or 30 more years of life.

Villagers have been pledged �200,000 towards a new hall from a pot of Pathfinder cash; government money given to North Norfolk District Council (NNDC) to help communities threatened by coastal erosion.

NNDC has already released �60,000 to Trimingham Parish Council, part of which will be used to buy the new site if planning permission is granted, according to parish council chairman Cath Wilkins.

The 300-strong community is hoping to boost the total sum to �400,000 through a Big Lottery grant and fund-raising, she added.

A fund-raising committee, chaired by villager Matt Cooper, has been set up and Monday will see the first of regular quizzes for the cause, at Trimingham House caravan site, 7.30pm for 8pm.

Mr Cooper, a former parish councillor who used to run clubs for youth and elderly people with his wife, Jeanette, said further fund-raising ideas included a harvest supper in October, and possible car-boot sales and maypole dancing on the new site, once the land had been bought and cleared.

Plans for the new village hall show a single-storey building covering 275 square meters,incorporating a main hall, meeting room and office, kitchen and toilets. It is set within a large area of green.