A Suffolk hall that was rebuilt following an arson attack in 2013 is set to be extended.
Trimley St Martin Parish Council has applied to East Suffolk Council for permission to extend Trimley Memorial Hall to provide a separate hall with a kitchen, store and disabled toilet facility.
In June 2013, the hall, just off the High Road, was hit by a blaze that took three hours to control and destroyed most of the items inside.
READ MORE: Fire-damaged Memorial Hall in Trimley St Martin is resurrected after £289k project
However, a subsequent assessment of the hall indicated that the blaze, which happened in the early hours, did not cause extensive damage to the walls of the facility.
It meant that the building did not need to be demolished but repairs had to be made to the roof and the floors of the hall.
At the time, there were hopes that the funding for the necessary repairs would come from the hall's insurance coverage.
The hall was reopened 16 months after the blaze following a £289,000 restoration project to repair a 'huge hole' that had been left in the community while the well-used hall was unavailable.
Prior to the fire, the hall had been used regularly by a wide variety of groups and organisations including quilters, embroiderers, Trimley Saints Players, Trimley Wives and the parish council.
A design and access statement with the latest plans indicated that the separate hall would enable more bookings to be accommodated to keep up with demand and would not 'compromise' any existing parking on the site.
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The hall will be built to the rear of the existing hall and will involve the extension of an existing double pitched roof and flat roof design with rendered masonry walls to match the existing colours.
The 32sqm hall will include a ramp and landing to the entrance, while there will be 42 car parking spaces.
READ MORE: Trimley: Rebuilt Memorial Hall to get a modern look after devastating blaze
Consultees, including Suffolk County Council's Highways team, have not raised any objections to the plans.
The current hall is advertised on the parish council's website as being available for bookings and is described as offering a 'state-of-the-art' lighting and sound system.
READ MORE: Suffolk news
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