THURROCK Council planning officers have vetoed plans for a new church on a borough industrial site, saying design, parking and noise problems make the scheme a no go!

The scheme was put forward by the Grace to Grace International Church for a unit on Towers Road, on the Globe Industrial Estate in Grays.

The application sought permission for the conversion and change of use of a vacant warehouse and office to a place of worship and community centre including minor external alterations to front and rear elevations to help facilitate the change of use.

It stated that the new church would be likely to generate ten full time jobs and six part time positions.

Grace to Grace International Church said the likely maximum congregation at any one time would be 50 people, with the applicant anticipating between 40 and 50 people attending the site on each day.

And it advised that the use would be operated for community services (including a Foodbank, empowering the local community as well as Church services) largely between 6.30 and 10pm.

However, rejecting the application, which was not considered by planning councillors, officers said the proposed use does not provide adequate parking within the site for vehicles of both staff and visitors.

They also said that the principle of the proposed use is not considered suitable in this location, within an existing commercial and industrial estate.

Officers said users of the building, whether by car, bicycle or on foot would have to travel through an existing highway network that is in a poor condition and fronted by a variety of industrial activities operating within cramped conditions.

And though the nearest residential development is 70 metres away, officers felt there were issues with noise as services would involve music, drums and the voices of the congregation that could cause noise disturbance to nearby residential properties.

They said: "The application contains insufficient information in relation to the potential for the proposal to result in noise nuisance to surrounding occupants.

"There is a lack of detail in relation to the specific operation of the use, together with any potential mitigation measures to prevent such a nuisance.

"Therefore, in the absence this the council is not satisfied that the proposal would not give rise to noise nuisance at hours into the evening and at weekends when residential occupants would expect quiet enjoyment of their dwelling."

The full report and reasons for refusal can be viewed via this link.