Last week the Daventry Express reported plans for a new ‘multi-purpose’ community building to replace the ageing Community Centre as part of the town’s new Learning Quarter were being shelved.

Brian Bell, treasurer and general secretary of the Community Association, which runs the centre off Ashby Road in Daventry, believes it could take years to raise the money for a new building.

He said: “The money for the hall was due to come from the new houses, but that can’t be provided until the houses are built.

“The application for the educational part had to go in now to the Learning and Skills Council because the council is ceasing in two years.

“We are looking at the current building standing for, realistically, another seven to 10 years.

“We have 6,000 people a month using the Community Centre. But the building needs a new roof, new windows because the wood is rotten and a new boiler system.

“What I want to do is get the building up to a high standard again.”

Daventry Choral Society was leading a campaign to make the proposed hall accoustically suitable for performances from around 45 local musical groups.

Now the society’s campaign is focussing on the iCon building, due to start being built next year.

The iCon is set to have a 200-seater conference hall, which the society says could be designed for community performances.

Society secretary Anne Milo said: “We’re disappointed on behalf of the Community Centre and Phoenix Youth Centre, but having said that there’s not a lot that can be done.

“Instead we’re looking at the iCon building and asking if they could change and enlarge the conference hall.

“It’s designed for 200 people, but it would need to be for 300 if it was to be of use to us.

“There are dozens of groups in Daventry that would use a hall with suitable acoustics.”

Plans for the iCon were unveiled at a VIP launch event on June 13 and the centre will be a hub for cutting edge innovation in the construction industry.

The designs, which are on display for another week at Daventry District Council’s Lodge Road offices, are now open to public comments before the formal planning application is submitted.