SIX million pounds will be spent on the refurbishment of Chingford Assembly Hall, it emerged at a community council meeting.

The financial figures were reveales when plans for the ground floor of the venue were sketched out at North Chingford Community Council in the Assembly Hall itself last week.

At the meeting, Clyde Loakes, leader of the council, said funds for the work would be raised through the sale of council assets elsewhere in the borough.

Maureen McDonald-Khan, head of portfolio management, set out details of new facilities for the ground floor of the hall and how services would be altered.

These include a Waltham Forest Direct Shop, a cafe, an extension to the library, a creche area to the rear of the stage, a bar area, downstairs toilets, internal works to the hall and refurbishment of the foyer.

The future of the hall has proved a contentious issue and a number of venue users raised concerns about the implications of the changes.

Niall Colbert, producer for Pinnacle Productions, an amateur theatre group which performs at the hall, said: "My main concern is whether or not we will have our booking for January 2006 honoured.

"Although I am very pleased the venue will be staying open, we were presented with no clear timescale of when things will happen and whether we can continue to use the hall as we do now."

Other residents worried about hire rates were told by Ms Mcdonald-Khan that she hoped present rates would be maintained, although no concrete assurances were given.

Some objections to parts of the plan were made during the presentation. One resident asked if there was any need for another cafe in the area when space in the venue was at a premium.

A council spokeswoman said: "The council believes both the cafe and the creche could be operated by local organisations to provide local young people with training opportunities in catering and childcare while providing a service to their own community."

A report outlining the proposals for the joint service centre will be considered by the cabinet on Tuesday.

Also up for discussion is the future management of the hall and a recommendation for an in-depth consulatation with all users.

Acknowledging the period of renovation would not be an easy one, Cllr Loakes added: "There will be disruption, but I believe any short term pain will be outweighed by the long term gain."