VILLAGERS in a tiny Huddersfield hamlet claim council planners want them to turn their pride-of-place village hall into a Tardis.
Birdsedge residents claim the out-of-this-world planning row took off after conflicting messages from council departments over plans to modernise the historic hall.
Village Hall secretary Carole Ashley said: "At the moment it appears as though we can satisfy every department only by expanding the hall without changing the internal dimensions - an impossible task."
Villagers want to bring their hall up to date and in line with the Disability Discrimination Act.
Jacey Bedford added: "When plans were first submitted to Kirklees in 2004 they included sympathetic changes to the outside appearance with new gables and a new entrance - which would give us more space, including room for a disabled toilet.
"Neither the Planning Department or Highways had any objection but Joanne Needham from Kirklees' Conservation department objected.
"We amended the plans and resubmitted them to comply with what the planning department indicated would be acceptable.
"Now Ms Needham has made a second objection - this time to the entrance hall and disabled toilet.
"In addition there is now an objection from the Highways Department which seems to be because losing the side gables and extending further to the rear of the building, which Conservation deemed acceptable, removed vehicle space to turn around."
She added: "Unfortunately every time we talk to the planners we get mixed signals.
"What satisfies one department doesn't satisfy the other."
Now the group want a site visit to thrash out a solution.
Jacey added: "Without a site meeting in which all cards can be laid on the table, theirs and ours, and without clear and incontrovertible advice we can't make progress."
A spokesman for Kirklees Planning Department said: "We are still in negotiation with the agent for the Birdsedge village hall planning application. The agent and the committee are due to meet on Tuesday and we are awaiting the outcome of this."
