A METHODIST minister spoke out today in a bid to dispel fears that plans to build a brand new 80-seater chapel will interfere with fund-raising for a new community centre in the same village.

The Rev Christopher Cheeseman (pictured), superintendent of the Clitheroe Methodist circuit, said the ambitious £275,000 scheme to demolish Chatburn's 118-year-old Methodist chapel and build a new place of worship on the site would draw funding from different areas of the community.

Sensible and careful organisation of fund-raising events should avoid any clashes with the village's own £400,000 community centre plans.

The chapel currently has a congregation of just over 30.

The church hopes to get £144,000 from its headquarters and grant aid, and is due to launch a fund-raising appeal for the remainder.

"It is a very exciting project which will enable the church to become much more part of the community," said Mr Cheeseman.

"I certainly can not see any problems with the two projects running side by side. Both will be there to serve different parts of the community."

But some villagers are worried that the community centre project could lose out.

"We are naturally concerned that two lots of fund-raising could be going on at the same time in the parish," said Bill Alker, secretary to the Chatburn and District Community Centre Committee.

"If the new Methodist chapel provides accommodation for a number of local organisations, our scheme could be looked on as less favourably," he said.

Even with outside grant aid, the community committee feels the area will be unable to financially support two large-scale fund-raising projects.

The exisiting hall dones not have room for indoor sports or large-scale community use and needs modernising.

The two organisations have agreed to a meeting on Monday.