MOVES are afoot to knock down Cookley parish hall for affordable housing, following more than a year of controversy over the sell-off of the site by church leaders.

A developer is to seek council permission to demolish the hall for flats.

The plan would bring to an end the long saga, which began with the rundown hall being closed in 2002 after falling into disrepair.

The proposed sale, which requires approval by planners at Wyre Forest District Council, would net enough money to build a new facility, said the Rev Geoff Shilvock.

Mr Shilvock, who is chairman of the Cookley Parochial Church Council, which owns the hall and land in Lea Lane, said: "I think this is the best opportunity that Cookley people have had, for a long time, to have a really good facility for meetings and for social activities."

He added the PCC had more than 20 offers for the site and the flats plan, from Midlands-based Bromford Housing Group, was "by far the best one".

The PCC has pledged to find a new site for a hall and the village's playing fields was ideal, said Mr Shilvock.

He explained the sale would, nevertheless, mark a sad day for villagers: "We are not entirely happy it is being sold - it is a fact of circumstances - but we feel we have got no option, given the circumstances. We feel (the developers) would give us the best deal. We have got to get the best deal, from the community's point of view."

He said the plan would "provide some much needed accommodation in the village" and re-iterated he felt the PCC had done all it could to keep the hall going.

He added: "It had come to the end of its life. It was getting to the stage where we were throwing money at it and it wasn't going to improve the hall at all."

An exhibition of the plans will be held at Cookley Sebright First School, Lea Lane, next Thursday between 4pm and 7pm.