ALL hope of saving Soham's 80-year-old church hall has been lost after councillors decided to turn it over for housing.
Despite hearing passionate pleas from three members of Soham Community Hall Charitable Trust, eight members of East Cambridgeshire Council's planning committee approved plans to demolish the site for nine houses and four flats.
Planning officer S
usannah Dyer originally asked that the application be refused, but changed her recommendation at Wednesday's meeting because developer Amber Homes had now entered into negotiations to contribute to community facilities.
Councillors agreed to give the scheme the go ahead on the condition that Amber Homes fulfil that requirement.
During the meeting, trust campaigner Liz Jugg said: "Can we afford to sacrifice our town centre for the sake of a comparatively small development.
"This hall and site are needed now, more than ever before. We need to hear the heartbeat of Soham once again."
Trust chairman John Palmer told councillors that the Hall had been at its High Street site since 1928 and formed part of the street scene and town's heritage.
"Why destroy that period of our history and heritage for the sake of nine houses and four flats when the hall could be restored to its former glory," he said.
But Tim Alban Jones, vicar of Soham's St Andrew's Church, said the hall had not been used for at least 10 years.
"I don't think the town people of Soham really care whether we sell or keep the hall," said Mr Alban Jones, speaking on behalf of the Parochial Church Council.
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