Demolition and rebuild of WW2 huts to get new cash

The redevelopment of World War Two huts, one of which is now a theatre, is expected to receive an extra £250,000 of funding.

Mole Valley District Council said the repurposed huts in Dorking, Surrey would be demolished and replaced in June 2027, if the proposal is progressed by councillors.

According to officials, the huts which are believed to have been built in the 1940s, located behind Dorking Halls, are "no longer suitable for modern occupational requirements".

A planning application to demolish the huts and replace them with five larger commercial units, including one for theatre use, has been submitted.

Simon Coppen-Gardner, chair of the Green Room Theatre management committee, said losing the properties was "sad in some ways".

"We have spent the last 60 years building up a wonderful little theatre there," he said, but added the group had to "look to the future".

Officials said a survey, consultation and design work had already been carried out since the council's cabinet first approved the work in June.

According to planning documents, the buildings, referred to as Canadian Army huts, are "not good or representative examples of that type" and their heritage interest "is therefore limited".

Cabinet member Keira Vyvyan-Robinson said the proposals would "secure the long-term future of existing businesses" at the site.

Additional funding for the project would come from unspent money allocated to repairs at Leatherhead Leisure Centre.

The funding proposals will be considered by the council's scrutiny committee on Tuesday and by cabinet on 24 November.

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