Church Group to Acquire Harpenden Public Halls After Redevelopment Plans Abandoned

A community venue is slated for acquisition by a church following the cancellation of its redevelopment proposals. St Albans City and District Council confirmed that Harpenden Public Halls would be sold to ChristChurch Harpenden (CCH) after a sale agreement was reached. This development follows an unsuccessful transformation initiative in the Hertfordshire town, which had envisioned the construction of 29 homes on the site. Lib Dem council leader Paul de Kort stated that the “substantial sum” received for the venue would benefit local residents. The council noted that CCH attracts more than 300 attendees to its Sunday morning congregations. The acquisition is expected to inject new vitality into the halls, which were superseded as an entertainment venue by the Eric Morecambe Centre in October 2021. “Following the closure of the halls, we considered several options for the future of the site, including redeveloping it ourselves,” Mr. de Kort commented. He further explained, “But due to changes in the wider economic climate, we decided to explore the sale of the freehold as that seemed the best way forward.” The council leader extended his best wishes to CCH for its refurbishment project of the property, which it aims to complete by 2026. Gareth Loh, a senior minister at CCH, expressed that members of the congregation were thankful to take possession of the “iconic building.” The sale is contingent upon securing planning permission for a change of use and is projected to conclude in early 2025. For news updates from Beds, Herts, and Bucks, follow on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram, and X. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not accountable for the content of external sites. Information regarding its approach to external linking is available.