A MAJOR plan to build a new community hall in Pershore looks set to be approved this week.

Pershore Town Council wants to build a new £600,000 community hall on land next to Pershore Cemetery, off Defford Road, to accommodate the town’s growing population.

The council said the town needs a new venue that could accommodate more than 100 people - particularly for wedding receptions - with existing spaces already well-used and availability becoming extremely limited.

The community hall would provide a large main function hall and a meeting room, a kitchen, toilets and changing facilities as well as a family history room. The hall would accommodate around 150 people.

The land on which the new community hall would sit was earmarked for the future extension of the cemetery in 2014 and the hall would make use of the cemetery’s 50-space car park.

The plans to build a new community hall next to the cemetery were backed by more than 90 per cent of residents who attended a public meeting in 2017.

During consultation, 13 letters were sent to council planners objecting to the plan.

Pershore Civic Society said it was concerned with access to the site – especially if many cars left the car park onto the busy Defford Road following a large function.

The Civic Society also said the location of the new building would be too far from the majority of Pershore residents and with few buses, walking difficult and cycling unsafe on the busy road, traffic hazards and carbon footprints would increase because of the increase of cars.

In a letter sent to council planners, Carolyn Harford of Nogains said: “I support the principle of a new community hall, but feel strongly that this site is too far from the town centre.

“Although close to some new residential development, it would be a long way from that around Station Road.

“Residents expect a community hall to be close to the centre of town, and other options should be more thoroughly explored.”

Wychavon District Council’s planning committee meets on Thursday (January 10) at 2pm.