THURROCK Council has refused permission for the conversion of a shop in Grays to a church.

The authority has given no reason for refusal for the scheme on the junction of Hathaway Road with Ward Avenue, which was featured on Thurrock Nub News in July.

The Eagles Christian Connections church wants to turn 1 Kingston Parade, into a place of worship and a community hall. It was formerly a second-hand shop.

There was a considerable local opposition to the scheme with local residents airing their views on the council's website.

Main concerns were noise and traffic, though a council survey indicated that it was likely the church operators would put adequate mitigation measures in place.