Water Lane Hall is at risk of demolition to provide parking spaces for Waitrose on its Old River Lane site. These will be in return for parking spaces given up elsewhere on its site, so more homes can be built on the Old River Lane Development

The hall was recently registered as an Asset of Community Value (ACV), meaning its: A building whose main use or purpose is furthering the social wellbeing or social interests of the local community, and could do so into the future.

Its ACV status gives community groups six-months to prepare a bid to acquire and keep it for arts and community use. Currently the Friends of Water Lane Hall - Bishop's Stortford Civic Federation, Bishop's Stortford Arts Forum, the Old River Lane Cross Party Working Group and others, are raising funds for the surveys we think are needed to determine whether it's appropriate to fundraise for a bid.

£1,500 has already been raised for a full building survey and summary report. It's estimated a further £3,000 could be needed for a full report of the survey, plus a structural survey and/or a specialist valuation survey.

To learn more visit www.waterlanehall.org