A grade II listed church will remain untouched after officials voted against a scheme to transform it into four apartments and a retail premises.
Plans to convert the United Reformed Church, in Whitchurch town centre, were rejected at a meeting of North Shropshire District Council’s development control committee held yesterday, Wednesday, in Wem.
The decision was made because of a lack of parking at the site. Currently there are only four car parking spaces allocated to the building.
Nine letters of representation were sent to North Shropshire District Council objecting to the application.
Whitchurch Town Council was against the scheme claiming: “The internal alterations are inappropriate to a notable historic building in Whitchurch – if destroyed it can never be replaced.”
Other concerns included the change of use which would be ‘damaging and inappropriate to the long- term maintenance’.
It was felt the building would be ‘better suited for community use’, people said ‘parking facilities are inadequate’, and ‘proposals would be detrimental to the overall character and appearance of the listed building’.
The former church is split into two sections and the plan would see the back half, which used to be used as kitchens and meeting rooms, converted into four apartments and the front chapel turned into a retail sales area.
The Friends of Whit-church Heritage, which has attempted to bid for the building in the past, also wrote to the district council along with Whitchurch History and Archaeology Group and the Chapel Society.
Judith Clayton, from Friends of Whitchurch Heritage group, said: “We are obviously delighted that the proposals have been rejected.
“It is good for the community that this is to be redeveloped, but obviously the planners need to rethink.”
Jean Mainwaring, district councillor, opposed the proposal and Councillor Paul Wynn seconded it.
