Village hall to be built after noise fears tackled

The new village hill is to be built of the site of the old Knutton Recreation Centre which closed in 2020

A new £1m village hall is to be built after concerns about noisy events were tackled.

The new community hall, which includes two function rooms, a bar and kitchen, will be built on the former site of Knutton Recreation Centre in Newcastle-under-Lyme.

Borough councillors were concerned about its effect on a planned development of 54 homes and put their decision on hold for a noise impact assessment.

The planning committee has now voted to approve the scheme with conditions, including restricting the time music can be be played at functions until 23:00.

The conditions also include a requirement for a noise-limiting device within each function room and for a noise management plan to be submitted.

The committee followed recommendations put forward by environmental health officers.

The hall is part of a wider plan for Knutton, which has been allocated £3.5m of government funding from Newcastle's Town Deal.

The former centre closed in 2020 due to concerns over the state of the building.