Dance expert and lead judge on BBC programme Strictly Come Dancing Len Goodman has entered the row over the future of Crayford Town Hall.

THE outspoken dance teacher from Dartford, Len Goodman, has written to Bexley Council urging it not to allow the town hall to become a restaurant with flats above, but to "restore it to its former glory".

The town hall, in Crayford Road, Crayford, is included in plans for a £30m redevelopment project for the town centre.

The plans include a new library and health centre, 180 flats and a new central square, which it is hoped will become the focal point of the town.

But some residents are angry the town hall, which used to be a major entertainment venue and public hall, with council offices above, will not be retained for community use.

Instead, developer HFHA Group intends to turn the ground floor into a 180-seat restaurant, with apartments on the upper floors.

A new, smaller community hall with an outside roof terrace, will be provided on the upper floor of the new library building fronting the central square.

The town hall has been closed to public use since October 2001 after its sprung dance floor started to subside, although the council has continued to use the upstairs floors as offices.

In 2002, 10 years after being saved from demolition in 1992 by a public outcry, the council put its future on hold, claiming repairs costing nearly £500,000 were needed to keep the building in use.

Alan Thompson, chairman of the Crayford Forum, which has been leading the fight to keep the town hall in community use, says he has sought expert advice on the subsiding floor, the only remaining sprung dance floor in the borough.

Mr Thompson claims it would cost less than £50,000 to resolve the subsidence and restore the dance floor to full use.

Boost for forum's campaign

LEN Goodman, now as famous for his television appearances on Strictly Come Dancing and its American counterpart as he is for dancing, has backed Crayford Forum's efforts to save Crayford Town Hall for public use.

In his letter to Bexley Council, he says: "With the advent of Strictly Come Dancing, our dance studio along with many others, has seen a huge resurgence in ballroom dancing."

Mr Goodman adds: "One of the problems is finding a venue suitable for people to dance in.

"We find the need, more and more, to hire premises for our events and the only suitable place at the moment is Woodville Halls in Gravesend."

He said he would certainly be interested in holding events at a restored town hall "and possibly even moving the dance school there", which is currently based in Dartford.

Remembering the glory days

THOSE people fighting to save Crayford Town Hall for public use point back to its heyday as a major entertainment venue.

Dartford lad Keith Richards, now better known as one of the Rolling Stones, has recalled how he first saw veteran British rocker Joe Brown at the town hall in 1962.

It was famous for its cabaret and charity nights which attracted all the big entertainment names of the day and audiences included stars such as John Thaw and Dennis Waterman from the television series The Sweeney.

It also hosted Sunday concerts with top names from Sadlers Wells and the English National Opera.

The public area of the town hall has its own stage, dressing rooms and a bar, and has also hosted large events such as dances held by local groups, children's entertainment and fashion shows.

Len Goodman recalls first dancing in a competition in the town hall in 1968.

Alan Thompson, chairman of Crayford Forum, believes the building should be saved for similar uses in the future and says Mr Goodman's support has been a huge boost for the forum's campaign.

IS PLAN VITAL TO PROJECT?

BEXLEY Council claims only a minority of people are against the plans for the town hall.

The issue has divided Crayford's councillors, with two backing the developer HFHA Group's proposals, and one siding with the opposition, led by the Crayford Forum.

The council argues the plans to create a ground-floor restaurant where the current public space and stage are, and apartments above, are an integral part of the redevelopment scheme.

It says as part of the business case for the scheme, Bexley made it clear although there was a preference for community uses to be retained on the ground floor of the town hall, possibly with a cafe or restaurant, the council was always prepared to consider alternative commercial uses which would secure the future of the building, as long as community facilities were provided elsewhere in the development.

A council spokesman said the developer had complied with this requirement of the scheme.