A proposal to extend a popular community hall in Heybridge has been unveiled, in efforts to accommodate "growing" village activity.

Heybridge Parish Council hopes to improve the lobby and reception facilities offered by Plantation Hall, on Colchester Road, which it owns and manages.

This would be the third extension carried out on the hall since its construction around 1998.

A statement submitted with the plans says growing parish council activity has "resulted in congestion around the main entrance" of the building, which is used as a waiting area for the activities it hosts.

The statement says: "Heybridge is a growing community and, in recent years, Plantation Hall has become more and more used by the parish council as a base - providing office space for the parish clerk, a venue for council meetings and an interface with the community for various council activities.

"As the parish council's role in the community has grown, so the facilities provided by the existing building have come under increasing strain.

"It is now the situation that a further extension to the building is required to allow the council to properly deliver its services, and the hall can function smoothly as a community centre."

The hall is also used by organisations such as Maldon Carnival, which holds monthly cash bingo events at the venue.

The latest proposed extension would increase the floor area of the hall from 351 square metres to 394 square metres.

The building is planned around a central corridor, surrounded by the hall, meeting room, toilets and parish clerk's office.

The alterations would involve redesigning the principal entrance and reception area by continuing the existing materials and detailing.

Maldon District Council will make the final decision.