Parish council chairman Pam Bird revealed at a meeting last Tuesday that she had met with the district council to discuss the move.

Said Coun Bird: "If we took it over we wouldn't be striving along on our own, we would get help and this would be a gradual process.

"I think it would be a good thing for this village, the village hall would belong to the people of this village."

The proposals come after a new Government report was published encouraging district councils to hand assets over to the control of local people, who are more well placed to decide how they should be used.

But Sarah Dawes, head of leisure and culture at Newark & Sherwood, stressed the proposals were in the early stages.

"Newark & Sherwood District Council is currently looking at the future role of its community centres and village halls," she said. "However, the process is at a very early stage and no decisions have been made."