Work on a new community centre has been halted after its main contractor went into administration.
The parish council at Easton, near Norwich, must now appoint a new main constructor to build the Marlingford Road centre.
Peter Milliken, vice chair of Easton Parish Council, said: “This is desperately disappointing news.
"Whilst it will inevitably result in a delay to the building of the new community centre, we are working extremely hard with our advisors and our solicitors to move the project forward with a new main contractor and ensure that we are building again very quickly and delivering this wonderful new facility.”
Construction work began on the new £1.8m community centre near the Norfolk Showground and the A47 in February, with trees being planted and foundations being poured.
Mr Milliken said: "We are confident that all will be back on course soon. The support we’ve had from the subcontractors and others working on the project has been phenomenal."
Planning permission was granted last September and the building was originally expected to be completed in October of this year.
When finished it will include a sports hall, suitable for activities including badminton, bowls, gymnastics, martial arts, concerts, dances, meetings and cinema.
READ MORE: Legal battle begins over A47 at Easton
It will also include a clerk’s office, a lounge and meeting area, a lending library as well as changing rooms and toilets and is being built with sustainability in mind.
It will also benefit the wider community as a resilience centre that will provide 24-hour blue light access where emergency services can charge their electric vehicles and use the facilities, making the most of the proximity to the A47 and Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital.
Almost 900 new homes are set to be built around Easton along with new shops and open spaces over the next few years.
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