CAMPAIGNERS fighting to prevent a music academy from losing its home have stepped up efforts to make the building a community asset.

Fundraising group #SaveTheRockBarn is battling to prevent The Rock Barn in Witney Market Square from being demolished in favour of flats, and launched its next phase of action at Saturday’s Witney Carnival.

MuzoAkademy, which uses the building to help more than 100 people of all ages and abilities to learn music, entered a float in the parade and ran a stall at the carnival.

Some 25 volunteers who have benefited from The Rock Barn helped with the stall, including members of Doing it Together To Overcome (DITTO), a social group for young adults with special needs.

Musicians young and old played their instruments while the group launched its new justgiving page, receiving £800 within 48 hours as it capitalised on the publicity.

The carnival coincided with the end of a public consultation period for the planning application, which proposes to replace The Rock Barn with six flats.

West Oxfordshire residents have united against the proposals, with 24 objections online before the consultation closed on Thursday.

MuzoAkademy is part of the 7 C’s foundation, which helps people through music, and chairman Jon Berry said this backing was evident at the carnival.

He said: “It was a really positive day for the community and a great experience.

“To put our campaign in front of so many thousands of people was amazing.

“The response of everyone was great and they were all so keen to find out what they could do to help.

“We just want to have that opportunity to stay in a space that, in the last two-and-a-half years, has become an asset to the people of West Oxfordshire.”

In May, Keble Homes submitted a revised planning application to demolish The Rock Barn and build a block of six apartments.

The building is owned by town and district councillor David Harvey, who would have the option to sell the site to the property company if the application is approved by West Oxfordshire District Council.

However, if #SaveTheRockBarn is successful in gaining permission to become an Asset of Community Value, they will get six months to raise the funds before Mr Harvey can sell.

Mr Harvey has always said the barn would make way for housing and urged campaigners to focus efforts on finding a new home.

He said: “I hope they raise enough money to be able to move on somewhere quickly.

“If the current planning application goes ahead they’ll have to move somewhere else."

The group has gained 3,500 signatures on a petition urging the district council to acquire the barn as a community asset or identify an alternative home, while its Facebook page has almost 400 members.

Campaigners are also planning to release a song by the end of July and are releasing merchandise shortly.