CAMPAIGNERS are calling for an historic hall in Harwich to be handed to the community to repair before it crumbles away.

Esplanade Hall, behind St Nicholas’ Church, is all that remains of Esplanade School, built in 1813.

It has cracks in its walls and the condition has deteriorated since discussions took place between Tendring Council and the church over who had responsibility for it.

The Friends of Esplanade Hall and the Harwich Society are now calling for the church to take action urgently to prevent it from crumbling further.

Harwich Society chairman Colin Farnell said “We would like to turn it into a facility for the town, perhaps a town museum and community rooms – we want to preserve the building.

“The Friends of Esplanade Hall used to use it for coffee mornings and book sales, but since it closed it has fallen even further into disrepair.

“We want the church to hand it over to us or the Friends of Esplanade Hall or even do it up themselves.”

Harwich Town Council will also write to the Diocese of Chelmsford calling on it to take action.

Councillor Ivan Henderson said: “We are concerned about the hall.

“It is in quite a state of disrepair – we can’t lose any more time really.”

A spokesman for the Chelmsford diocese said the land had been registered by the council as its own, but the registration had been made in error.

“Tendring Council now accepts that this is, in fact, church land and it will be registered as church land,”

he said. “The matter is being actively pursued. Once the land has been registered, the next step will be to decide what happens to it.

“The diocese takes its role very seriously in supporting local parochial church councils in their decisions.”