Plans to demolish a local church and replace it with seven homes are to be considered.
An application to pull down St Crispin’s Church, in Pulborough – which closed in October 2019 – will be decided by the planning committee on Tuesday May 24.
The recommendation from officers is to refuse the plans. The council has received 58 letters of objection from the public, with concerns raised including overdevelopment, the loss of a community asset and harm to the character of the Conservation Area.
Eleven letters supporting the application cited reasons such as the need for more housing and that the proposals were well-designed and would actually enhance the Conservation Area.
If approved, the development will be made up of five three-bedroom and two four-bedroom homes. In a design statement submitted with the plans, applicant Earlswood Homes said: “The property is surplus to the Diocese requirements and marketing has also demonstrated that there is no viable demand for the premises for other community uses.
“Worshippers who previously used St Crispin’s now attend St Gabriel’s in nearby Billingshurst and, as such, the community’s needs continue to be adequately met. In this context, the benefits arising from the provision of much-needed housing clearly outweigh the loss of what is a now surplus community building.”
To view the application, log on to public-access.horsham.gov.uk and search for DC/21/1815.
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