PEOPLE living in an historic Suffolk market town can learn more about proposals to turn a former police station site into a community hall and sports venue.

The Framlingham and District Development Trust is holding its AGM on Friday evening. Following the formal business of the meeting – which starts at 5pm in the town’s sports club – they will bring everyone up to date with the situation surrounding the site of the former police station in Badingham Road.

A number of local organisations, including the sports club and Framlingham Area Youth Action Partnership (FAYAP), have been working alongside the development trust to draw up proposals.

These outline plans will be explained after the AGM – and members are keen to hear from as many people as possible, including those in neighbouring villages.

The proposals include a sports centre with facilities for archery and badminton along with a community hall that could be used by a number of groups including FAYAP. It could also include office space, another hall, kitchen facilities and outdoor toilets for use by those on the Pageant Field.

Alison Pickup, chair of the development trust, said Framlingham was in desperate need for a community facility such as this.

“Even if people don’t want to be directly involved in the project we are anxious to know what facilities they would like to see and the ways in which any facility might be useful,” she said. “We want to hear from as many people as possible – not just in Framlingham but also the surrounding villages.

“It’s a chance for people to see what’s possible but to also give some input into what they want.”

The opportunity to develop the site arose after The Mills Charity bought the police station site and offered the community the chance to buy it – rather than developers snapping it up and converting it into housing.

However, because the money used to purchase the site was an endowment it means they cannot just give it away. The community has until December 2013 to come up with the cash and a steering group has been formed, which has already made preliminary investigations with sporting bodies and the lottery with regards to funding.