A VILLAGE hall will be knocked down and replaced by a new building after plans were approved.

Planners fear Eight Ash Green’s community venue will soon be unusable as it continues to fall into a dilapidated state.

The property will now be demolished to make way for a new village hall with fresh facilities and a mezzanine level.

It follows Colchester Council deciding to give the plans the green light.

The building in Spring Lane was constructed in 1948 having been donated by the army from a nearby camp.

Gazette: Village - Eight Ash GreenVillage - Eight Ash Green (Image: Newsquest)

It has seen extensions to the front and rear sides over the years but is now deemed to be beyond repair.

Planner Alan Bilby, of AJB Property Services, reported: “The building is rapidly falling into a state of disrepair and will shortly be unusable.”

Proposals to build a new hall within on another site within the village have failed to materialise despite the efforts of the Village Hall Committee and Eight Ash Green Parish Council.

Mr Bilby added: “Therefore the only option is to demolish and rebuild a new hall on the existing site.”

The new venue will measure 272msq and will be positioned further back on the land to make “better use” of the redundant space.

The blueprints outline potential for 12 parking spaces, an increase of two.

Gazette: Village hall - the building was put in place in 1948Village hall - the building was put in place in 1948 (Image: Google)

Inside the building will be a meeting room, kitchen, main hall and storage space on the ground floor, as well as male, female and disabled toilet facilities.

Further storage and activity space will be available on the mezzanine level.

More than 500 households were informed of the proposals, which were discussed during a meeting in late June.

A supporter of the plans said: “The new hall will be bright and breezy and would, again, be the centre of village activities and attract more use from the younger members of the community.”

However, an objector raised concerns about the parking arrangements, labelling Spring Lane “a very busy and dangerous” road.

Another added: “The village simply does not require such a development.”