Plans to build a new £1.7 million sports hall have come one step closer this week- despite fears that it could mean the town is without a facility until 2011.

The current community sports hall in Broomstickhall Road is joint managed by Epping Forest District Council and the building's owners King Harold School.

The agreement means the school can use the hall by day and community groups can use it in the evenings.

But that is due to end in January 2010, when the school will take over management and decide if it should remain open to the public.

At a Council meeting this week the plans to construct a new EFDC owned sports hall came closer after they agreed to spend £41,000 to start planning the site.

If the plans are a success, the hall could be built next to the Waltham Abbey Swimming Pool in Roundhills.

However EFDC Planning Officer John Gilbert warned it could mean no sports hall for over a year.

He said: "The hall reverts back to King Harold School and it's up to them if it remains open to the public.

"Come what may, there may be a significant gap between January 2010 and the opening of any new facility, should that happen, sometime during the middle of 2011."

But the Council say they are frustrated by the lack of feedback from School Governors about community use of the old hall.

Councillor Jon Whitehouse said: “This was agreed to be an urgent thing when it was discussed two months ago. yet the recommendation we have here today are the same.

“I appreciate there are difficulties if the governors at King Harold don't want to engage.

“It concerns me that despite this being flagged up as a worry several times so far, we're still only at the consideration stage.”

Cllr Chris Whitbread agreed, saying: “We've been trying to discuss this with the school for at least four years as far as I can remember. I know council officers have been trying to meet with governors."

Planning Officer John Gilbert added: "We share the councillors frustration at the difficulties we've been having at getting the governing body of King Harold's School to engage.

"There is no "Plan B", we will walk away from that facility in January 2010, and if the school don't choose to use it for community use then there will be a gap."