Rochford District Council has backed a plan to spend £1.6 million on the Mill Hall Arts & Events Centre in Rayleigh, Essex, to secure its future as a community venue. The investment is intended to repair the building and make it more reliable for the local groups and residents who use the space.
The money is earmarked for essential structural and building-envelope works, including a new roof, energy-efficient windows and upgrades to the heating system, alongside internal improvements to make the hall more comfortable for events. Council papers and local reporting describe the £1.6m as a targeted “Phase 1” package designed to stabilise the building and its core utilities; further interior modernisation may require additional funding or a commercial operator to invest.
Cllr Danielle Belton, Leader of Rochford District Council, said the hall has been neglected for too long and that the funding will make it fit for the next generation. The Strategy, Finance & Policy Committee considered and backed the council’s proposed 2026/27 budget earlier in February, which includes the Mill Hall investment.
The Save Mill Hall Campaign has campaigned for more than five years to protect the venue from demolition and redevelopment for housing. The new funding follows a council reversal of earlier plans to redevelop the site and ends years of uncertainty over the hall’s future.
A final vote on the proposed budget, including the Mill Hall allocation, is scheduled at the Full Council meeting on 17 February 2026. If approved, the Phase 1 works are intended to help secure the building’s future as a community hub as the town faces planned new housing and development.
About this article: This story was put together with the help of AI tools and checked by a real person on our team. We're a small crew trying to cover as much of the UK as we can on a limited budget. We're getting better every day - but we're not perfect yet. If something looks off, let us know. You're part of the process.
