A LONG-running battle for a new £600,000 church hall in a New Forest graveyard is set to end in days.

Church leaders have been trying for more than three years to obtain planning permission for the new hall in the Hordle parish churchyard.

The Daily Echo can reveal that a letter telling the church it can go ahead was on its way.

The new building will replace an old wooden hall, which has been boarded up, vandalised. It was set on fire in late on New Year's Eve. There will be four terraced houses and two bungalows built on the site, but the council has said the demolition of the old hall cannot take place until the new hall is up and running.

The church has faced a determined campaign by protesters worried that the hall will disturb human remains and the issue had to be settled by an Ecclesiastical Court before planning permission was obtained.

The Ecclesiastical Court gave its blessing and after the scheme had been turned down by the district council, approval was granted by a Government inspector after an appeal had been lodged by the church with the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. The inspector did rule, however, that the start of building had to be delayed until agreement could be reached by the church and council officers over a means of getting building plant and materials on to the site without damaging the roots of existing trees.

New Forest District Council's head of development control Chris Elliott confirmed last night that agreement had finally been reached.

He said: "We have had some information from the church which now satisfies us that they can get on to the site and start building work without damaging the trees.

"They have come up with a system where they will lay tracks on the ground which will spread the weight of the vehicles going in and out tree experts believe that will eliminate the risk of damage. We are writing to tell them that they can go ahead."

Church spokesman Graham, Smith said he would be making a statement later: "I am very glad that it appears the matter has now been resolved," he said.

The news came as a shattering blow to the protesters and their spokesman Tim Boyce said: "It's a terrible shame and it does mean the church can go ahead and put a building on top of some of the graves. When they shifted the headstones in 1999, some of them were less than 30 years old.

"Now the district council is saying the access situation has been cleared up, we will have to think about our next move. But we will be watching the work very closely and will be monitoring whether there is any damage.

"We are also very concerned that the excavations necessary for the installation of underground services do disturb any human remains in the graveyard."

Mr Boyce was also critical of the government inspector who granted the initial planning permission after it had been refused by the council. He said: "He paid a half-day visit to the site with representatives of the church and no representatives of the objectors and decided that New Forest District Council had got it wrong."

Police are appealing for information from anyone who saw anything suspicious on December 31 when the old hall was set on fire.

Any witnesses are urged to contact New Milton Police Station on 0845 045 45 45.

The blaze was dealt with by 18 firefighters on two appliances from New Milton and one from Lymington.