The £2.4m project to build a new Wembdon Village Hall and changing rooms has ground to halt after the construction firm ceased trading.

Woodlands of Hatch Beauchamp were contracted by the trust to build the development that now lies half completed on Wembdon Common.

The Trust behind the project said in a statement: “We were informed yesterday morning (8th January 2016), through a communication with one of our key funders, that Woodlands had ceased trading. This financial situation has arisen because of other contracts that they are working on and they had hoped that with the Village Hall contract they would be able to trade their way out of the problem. Regrettably this was not possible.”

Rumours have circulated locally and on social media with a blame game taking place of who was at fault but the Mercury understands that workers for Woodlands did not return to work after Christmas.

The Trust confirmed to the Mercury that the project will continue soon and the contract with Woodlands is still in place until the status of the firm has officially changed.

The project to build the facility has been funded through a partnership of organisations with Viridor chipping in £1,250,000, Sport England giving £100,000, the CIM Mitigation Fund producing £250,000, with Sedgemoor District Council agreeing to £135,000, the Clarks Foundation giving £10,000, the ECB providing £100,000 and the Football Foundation coming up with £320,000. Locals have dipped into their pockets and raised £40,000 through a variety of activities while £10,000 came from Wembdon Football Club.

Building began in autumn 2014 and it was expected to be opened this spring. Now that timetable has been scrapped. The Trustees said: “The Trust is now working with our professional team of lawyers, employer’s agent and project manager to ensure that the construction will continue to completion but there will be an inevitable brief interruption of work on site whilst new plans are made and implemented.”

They were concerned the site could become a magnet for vandals and asked “everybody to keep a watchful eye.” Nobody should be on site and they have asked locals who spot anyone there to call the police.

Despite the setbacks they still hope to open the building by the start of the next football season and say they have been taking bookings for weddings and other events this summer already.

Have you been affected by the failure to open the building this spring? Your views on the Wembdon affair to harry.mottram@nqsw.co.uk