BIG steps forward have been made in the restoration of a derelict Swindon pub with £1 million in lottery grant money.

The former Toot and Whistle pub in Toothill, known more recently as The Village Tavern, has sat empty for a number of years, but work started on bringing it back into use for the community in August last year

Now, a year later, the steering group in control of £1million in lottery funding for the project, Toothill Big Local, has revealed the progress it has made so far.

Swindon Advertiser: The Village Tavern, formerly known as the Toot and Whistle, in a poor and derelict stateThe Village Tavern, formerly known as the Toot and Whistle, in a poor and derelict state

In a post on its Facebook page, the group apologised for being quiet over the last few months but shared what it had been up to.

"Sorry for the delay in updating everyone. The construction of the Hub has been impacted by contractor delays which are out of our control.

"The contractors assure us that they'll be finished by the end of August 2023, then we can focus on getting the hub up and running."

It also shared some before and after photos shared of the inside of the building, showing how much progress has been made. 

When complete, it will be a community hub for local people, providing a variety of sought-after services.

A spokesperson said: "The Hub @ Toothill CIC will provide a family pub with great food and fantastic space for a range of community activities.   

"We'll be sharing more info in the coming weeks on our FB page https://www.facebook.com/toothillbiglocal and opening dates will be confirmed asap after construction is successfully completed. 

"Our thanks to the local community for all of their support."

Swindon Advertiser: What the new Toothill Big Local community hub will look likeWhat the new Toothill Big Local community hub will look like

It has been a long journey to get to this point, but the progress has been met positively by residents. 

When the £1m share of £200m that the National Lottery gave to 150 neighbourhoods across England was awarded to Toothill, the derelict building was the biggest priority for locals. 

Toothill Big Local acquired a 62-year lease on the abandoned site in 2019, but Covid-19 stalled any progress.

But in June 2021, invitations to tender for construction work were sent out, and the group revealed that the work would be starting shortly with an update on Facebook.

Swindon Advertiser: How Toothill Big Local has spent its money so farHow Toothill Big Local has spent its money so far

Plans show that the current ongoing construction work is forecast to cost around £741,204 which includes the installation of new heating, wifi, electrics, doors, and toilets and the installation of the family pub, kitchen, a defibrillator and children's areas. 

This is on top of £468,296 already spent to acquire the lease, register as a community interest company and other administrative costs.