A MASSIVE building should dominate the centre of Tidworth and become the heart of the community in just a few years from now.

Interested parties were shown a virtual reality vision of the new community centre building that is being planned to replace the existing temporary building at Wylye Road at a recent meeting.

Under a design being worked on by Dan Jones Architects the building will be sited at the corner of Ordnance Road and Pennings Road on land that is most often used by the fair or circus.

Vehicular access will be at the rear with a pedestrian frontage on to Pennings Road.

The grand building will include meeting rooms, walkways, crches, offices for community groups, a community space, register office and a purpose-built council chamber for the new Tidworth Town Council on the top floor.

By 2005 councillors are expected to declare town status in view of Tidworth's population which could top 12,000 a few years from now.

Parish council chairman, Steve Dagger, who attended the presentation, said: "I am pleased with the progress that has been made so far. For the full story see Friday's Andover Advertiser