Church site to be turned into flats (From Thurrock Gazette)

Church site to be turned into flats

8:00am Friday 7th September 2012 in News

A DISUSED church in Chadwell St Mary is to be transformed into flats.

Thurrock Council’s planning committee approved the application for eight one-bedroom flats at the Riverview Methodist Church, at its meeting last Thursday.

The church was sold 20 months ago after its congregation declined. The committee heard the site was now in a state of disrepair.

There was only one objection to the application, from resident Alan Williams, who lives behind the church in Stour Road.

He was concerned about a loss of privacy from the development, but said the applicant, Barry Mack, had agreed to put up a 10ft fence to allay his fears.

Mr Williams told the committee he did not object to the application, providing the fence went up.

Some on the committee were not happy with the idea of a high 10ft fence going up and others felt it was unfair that an agreement had already been reached on it, and a debate raged on for nearly a hour.

Labour Cllr Richard Speight implied other neighbours should have their say too, but Gerard Rice, Labour for Chadwell, said the agreement should be honoured.

Aside from the fence issue, the committee was supportive of the application, with Conservative Cllr Shane Hebb calling it a “common sense application”.

It was approved with a two metre high fence – the applicant will have to come back with another application to increase the fence height.