A NEW village hall is one step closer after plans for homes to pay for the facility were given the thumbs up.

Ramsey Parish Council was given planning permission for a new hall in Wix Road, on its current recreation ground.

But to fund the facility, which would serve the new play area, football and rugby teams, huge investment is needed.

The idea is to sell the current Ramsey War Memorial Hall, which was given planning permission for three detached homes on Tuesday night.

Councillor and hall committee member Rob Passmore said the permission means the site is worth more money and is the first step towards funding the new hall.

He added: “We are very pleased.

“I don’t think we would have got anywhere near what we need to have funded what we want to build without this.

“The current hall is getting old and takes a lot to keep up - everything needs doing, it is full of damp and needs a new roof and it’s too small.”

But he said the current hall on Church Hill will stay open until the new hall is built.

A message on the war memorial hall’s Facebook page said: “So seven months ago our charity suffered a huge blow when our outline planning application for residential development on our Church Hill site, an integral part of our new build plans, was refused.

“Obviously this caused great disappointment and has been a huge setback but not ones to give up we battled on and resubmitted.

“Our plans went before the Tendring Council planning committee and following a heartfelt statement from us we finally received the long awaited approval - unanimous at that.”