A CONTROVERSIAL plan to turn a church hall into a hostel for homeless people was narrowly passed by councillors yesterday.

Hundreds of people had signed petitions objecting to the proposals to convert St George's Hall, in Elmfield Street, into an 11-bedsit facility.

They wanted the hall to become a community centre for local groups.

Darlington Borough Council's planning committee could not agree on the plan, with five members voting in favour and five against.

Committee chairman Councillor Frank Robson used his casting vote to push it through.

Residents said afterwards they were "gutted" at the decision.

Yvonne Richardson is the chairwoman of Northgate Community Partnership, formed earlier this year with the support of the council but which has nowhere to meet.

She said: "There is an awful lot of feeling here and I can't believe they have made that decision."

Earlier, she urged the committee to reject the plan.

"Please, please keep this hall for the purpose for which it was built and for the use of this community," she said.

She added that the partnership and the Friends of North Lodge Park had made numerous attempts to find out how to use the hall, which belongs to the United Reformed Church, for meetings and other events.

"The Bangladeshi community has also tried to get information about the hall," she said.

"They have searched for an alternative for a year now and they haven't come up with anything.

"All these people have had the same reply - that the hall is sold. How do we prove that we have the commitment, the ideas, the need to make use of that hall?"

Northgate ward councillor Eleanor Lister said: "We desperately need St George's Hall to be available for the whole of the community."

The United Reformed Church said there had been no inquiries about the hall's possible use by the community.

Coun Robson said it had not been used since 2001 and there were other buildings available for community use.

The council received 26 letters and two petitions with more than 350 signatures opposing the hostel scheme, which will be run by Darlington charity The 700 Club.