A primary school near Beccles will be demolished and the site used for a much-needed village hall if proposals come to fruition.

Worlingham Primary School will leave its current site in Rectory Lane in the summer, and a steering group is moving closer to achieving its goal of transforming the area into a community facility.

The group has the backing of Suffolk County Council and is now waiting on Michael Gove, the secretary of state for education, to allow the school site to be passed on to them.

If approved, they plan to demolish it and build a 425sq m village hall, with six or seven houses also on the site to help fund the development.

For many years there has been a desire for a community facility for Worlingham, and when Suffolk County Council announced that the primary school would be moving to Garden Lane, the site of the now closed middle school, the opportunity presented itself.

The steering group have been given a substantial grant from the county council and are currently working with architects to see how the site can be used.

Wendy Summerfield, chairman of Worlingham parish council, said: 'It is very exciting.

'It has all been going through and so far it has been good news all the way, so we are keeping our fingers crossed it continues as smoothly because there has been an awful lot of hard work.'

The steering group is hoping to set up a not-for-profit public company, with charitable status being sought.

A drop-in event about the plans will be held at the primary school on Saturday, March 9, from 11am to 2pm.