A COMMUNITY hall has been closed because it’s not “fit for purpose” a senior councillor has said.

The Royal British Legion hall, in the middle of Hadleigh’s Endway car park, off Castle Lane, has been boarded up by owner Castle Point Council.

Residents fear the council’s long-term plan is to knock down the hall and build flats on the site.

This is because Castle Point Regeneration Partnership, which is chaired by the authority’s leader Pam Challis, last year unveiled proposals to build homes on the parking area to fund ambitious proposals to regenerate the town centre.

But Bill Sharp, Hadleigh councillor for St James ward, said the ageing hall had been closed because it was in a poor state of repair.

He went on to say any plans to build flats on the land were only an idea at this stage, and would not necessarily go ahead.

Speaking to more than 100 residents a meeting of the Hadleigh and Daws Heath Neighbourhood meeting on Wednesday night, he said: “It looks to me that the hall is at the end of its life.

“Is it being done to build on Endway car park? I don’t think that’s the case.

“Castle Point Regeneration Partnership has put forward a whole plan and there are bits of it that will take place and other bits that won’t see the light of day.”

The building was constructed in the Thirties and the council considers it unsuitable for the requirements of a modern community hall.

The toilets and kitchen are both very cramped, while there is also concern about asbestos in the roof. Meanwhile, residents have set up a campaign to save the car park by building a new community hall at the site.

The Endway Community Association has been set up to champion the scheme, and Leigh-based architects BGA has drawn up plans for the new building.

The group is now trying to raise enough money to apply for outline planning permission for the building.

The association will be holding a public meeting from 7pm on Thursday, July 7, at the Methodist Church Hall, in Chapel Lane, Hadleigh.