AMENDED PLANS FOR HOUSES AT DERELICT CHURCH FAILS TO CONVINCE TOWN COUNCILLORS

Amended plans for seven houses with parking spaces for fourteen cars at the derelict church of St Peter in Crewkerne, has failed to convince town councillors to change their minds on their previous objections. The planning application was submitted by the Clifton Diocese in July last year. They requested the approval for the demolition of the former Catholic church in South Street and the erection of eight houses with parking spaces for twelve cars.

The planning application has now been amended to the above plans, but at the meeting of the full town council in April, councillors felt that while the plans had been considerably changed, there was inadequate provision for parking and their original concern that vehicular movements onto Furland Road would be unsafe, due to a high level of on-street parking, remained valid. Councillors agreed that the site was ‘ripe for development, in an essential area of the town’ but the proposed development was ‘trying to fit too much on the land.’ Town councillors voted unanimously to recommend refusal.

The derelict church is a timber framed single storey building, clad on the outside with an asbestos slate roof and certain interior areas also contain asbestos. It has been closed since October 2007 and the point of access to the site is currently through iron gates in Furland Road. A private objection to the planning application has been received by South Somerset District Council, from a concerned resident in the area, who is worried that the proposed housing development would overlook existing properties and therefore be intrusive to residents living adjacent to the site in South Street. It is not known yet when SSDC will make their final decision as the application is still pending their further consideration.

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