The Tolleshunt D'Arcy village hall will be demolished and replaced by a new community hub, after Maldon District Council (MDC) approved the plans on Wednesday, 18 August.

This will not alter the current use of the site, on Tollesbury Road, as a village hall and post office but rather provide an upgraded village hall for residents.

The application documents state that "the existing hall is outdated in terms of the quality and type of spaces" and "it is inefficient in terms of heating and maintenance".

The replacement community hub will accommodate a hall, kitchen toilets and community rooms with car parking at the front of the building.

It will also have an access path to the secondary entrance and kitchen area to the east side of the site.

The hub will have a similar position and layout to the existing hall, but the replacement hall will be placed centrally on the site and set further back within the plot to provide car parking spaces at the front and an amenity area at the rear.

30 square metres of extra floor space will be created as a result.

Tolleshunt D'Arcy Parish Council recommended approval of the application, which was subsequently granted planning permission by MDC planning officers.

The development must be begun before the expiration date of three years from the date of the permission.