TIME is running out to draft firm plans for a new community hall in Worcester, parish councillors have been told.

Proposals for a hall in St Peter’s must be finalised within five months if any new venue stands a chance of being built before the lease on the existing premises runs out. At the moment, the hall in Abbotsbury Court is in a building owned by neighbouring Tesco but the lease is up in just under two-and-a-half-years.

Despite repeated attempts, St Peter’s Village Hall committee has been unable to pin down the supermarket on its plans to offer a lease renewal. Tesco would, under normal circumstances, not look at lease renewals until a year from the agreement’s expiry date.

At a St Peter’s Parish Council meeting, Coun Roger Knight said it would be difficult to get an answer from Tesco at the moment about what its future plans were because of the firm’s commercial considerations.

“The matter of the lease is being pressed and we’re trying to arrange a face-to-face meeting with Tesco,” he said. “But for obvious reasons they won’t commit to something two-and-a-half-years down the road when they don’t know whether that impedes their development here. We think it would take two years to deliver so we’re down to months now.”

He added a decision was needed from St Peter’s Parish Council, which could help fund any new hall, as to whether they want to pursue a short or long-term lease with Tesco, or press ahead in principle with a new hall.

One of the possible sites for a new hall could be ground next to the multi-use games area a few yards from the current hall.

“It would be useful if members said what they thought,” said Coun Knight.

Coun Paul Thorlby said the hall committee should get a short-term lease, even if it supported a new hall.

l The Worcester News was the only media at this meeting.