THE future of Great Yarmouth's Drill Hall may not yet be lost, after Norfolk County Council decided to shut the facility for financial reasons.Mark Westgate, who runs a ladies basketball team at the York Road hall, hoped to meet up with representatives of other sports groups to fight the council's decision to close it within the next 12 months and increase users' hire charges from �5 to �18.

THE future of Great Yarmouth's Drill Hall may not yet be lost, after Norfolk County Council decided to shut the facility for financial reasons.

Mark Westgate, who runs a ladies basketball team at the York Road hall, hoped to meet up with representatives of other sports groups to fight the council's decision to close it within the next 12 months and increase users' hire charges from �5 to �18.50 an hour. He was particularly angry the council had not told users of its decision and had wasted unnecessary amounts of money on maintenance work and cleaning staff.

Last week, Phil Holmes, the council's acting area director, said the council was helping the badminton group using the hall to find an alternative location to meet, but Mr Westgate said the council had not helped his basketball group.

The council is planning to hold another public meeting within the coming months to consult with users and Mr Westgate said he would probably take that opportunity to meet with the other groups and organise a campaign to save the hall.

“At the moment, until we have a public meeting it has been difficult to plan anything. It is interesting that they are working with groups to find alternative locations.

“They have not helped my basketball group. They have not even sent out a letter saying it is going to close,” he said.

The council has cut the subsidy because it is coming from its children's services budget to pay for a leisure facility and it wants the cash to pay solely for youth facilities.