2 February 2011

Please note: this news article is in our archive. Articles were correct at time of publication, but should not be relied on for accuracy after the passage of time.

THE Council-owned Small and Upstairs Parish Halls opposite Chequer Mead theatre are to be restored thanks to the intervention of a local church group.

Jesus Living Water Christian Church, which already hires the Parish Halls on a regular basis, has agreed to lease the building in De la Warr Road for the coming 28 years.

The rent paid for the rear portion of the building, which will include the use of the upstairs hall, meeting room, kitchen and toilets, will finance the renovation of the Large Parish Hall in the front.

Council leader James Baldwin said he was delighted that the matter had finally been resolved after previous schemes to make it a centre for Age Concern, and to pull it down and build new flats, had both come to nothing.

“This proposal will result in an improved facility for the whole town to enjoy,” he said.

"We don’t want to waste any more time in terms of restoring the building to a state that the public rightly expect, so we are pleased that we can now go ahead as quickly as possible.

"This solution is a win three times over: a win for local residents, a win for better community facilities and a win for the local taxpayer."