New homes could replace a charity’s community hall, which has a special status.

Three Rivers District Council will ask residents what they think about replacing the Red Cross Centre in Croxley Green with six to nine new homes.

The building, in Community Way, is an asset of community value.

This means that, if the building owners wish to sell the hall, they must give community organisers time to prepare a bid to buy it before owners put it on the market.

The Rickmansworth-based district council has included the building in its 4,852-home local plan, which councillors have agreed to put out to consultation.

In a debate, Green Party members tried to remove the asset of community value from the draft plan.

Councillor Chris Mitchell, Group leader and Dickinsons councillor, said the centre was built “partly by public subscription in the 1960s at two-and-six a brick”.

Two shillings and sixpence or half a crown is worth around £2.85 in today’s money.

He said the building was “heavily used” until 2019.

“The site designated as an asset of community value and there are confidential discussions taking place between the parish council and Three Rivers on the site’s future, and I believe leaving it in the plan prejudices those talks,” Cllr Mitchell said.

Three Rivers District Council has previously released a statement which notes leaders are “exploring the option of building a new, modern community space with residential accommodation above”.

Draft local plan policy CG65 for six to nine homes sets out: “Re-provision of the community facility would be required on-site.”

It adds a heritage assessment “may be required”, and that developers would need to show how they could mitigate any flood risk.

Cllr Stephen Giles-Medhurst, Leavesden councillor and deputy leader of the Liberal Democrat-run council, said it would be “disingenuous” to leave the site out of the draft local plan, because the authority could end up asking neighbours what they think about the previously stated intention for homes come what may.

“There has been extensive discussion about replacing the community facility – it is in the consultation – and having housing,” Cllr Giles-Medhurst said.

“The Red Cross wants to vacate the site but it hasn’t yet done so.

“They haven’t signed the legal agreements.

“We are being totally honest with residents by saying this is a brownfield site which will be 100 per cent affordable, and we will be consulting residents on it in terms of a potential planning application – which is under negotiation.”