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Chapel plan for Seend thrown out (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)
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Chapel plan for Seend thrown out
7:00am Sunday 14th March 2010
A family's plans to convert a crumbling Grade II listed chapel in Seend Cleeve into a four bedroom home have been scuppered by the refusal of planning permission.
Councillors on Wiltshire Council’s eastern area planning committee were split about the proposed conversion of the former Methodist chapel and building of an extension by Julian Mattock, who currently lives in Bath but whose family have lived in Seend Cleeve for several generations.
The chapel was built in 1849 but sold and lapsed from religious use in 1979. The chapel is run down, but the graveyard is still run by the Methodist church and tended by the Mattock family.
The parish council and five neighbours objected. At the meeting in Devizes resident Julie Brokas likened the proposed three-storey zinc cladded extension to an industrial building.
Marie Schruff, the partner of Julian Mattock, told the committee: “Julian grew up in Seend Cleeve and our children will be the sixth generation to grow up there. His parents gave us the chapel. Its setting, history and role within the village is very important to us.”
Jonathon Seed, Wiltshire councillor for the area, told the committee the only contentious part of the plan was the size of the extension.
He said: “The materials to be used in the extension, although clearly contemporary, met with our conservation officer’s approval. This application was nearly passed under (planning officers) delegated powers a few weeks ago.
“Our planning officers were happy to pass this application if the applicants were to reduce the size of the annexe by three quarters of a metre in height.
“The applicants are prepared to undertake a costly investment to build their own home and they should have the opportunity to do it.”
Planning officer Rob Parker recommended refusal because he said the size of the extension would dominate the former chapel.
The committee voted in favour of refusal by four votes to three.
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Your Say YourGazette
mjhudston, Chippenham says...
8:40pm Sun 14 Mar 10
Triton wrote:Nice to see the NIMBY squad can still stop progress!
I'm not surprised it was turned down - it was an awfully designed building which was in no way in-keeping with anything in the local vicinity let alone Seend Cleeve! How the planning officer could go above the local parish council and approve the contemporary materials in this white elephant of an extension is a violation of local democracy! If they want to build something sizeable out of zinc cladding, glass and cedar then I'm sure there is planty of space left down at Bowerhill Trading Estate!
.
I was one of the three people who stood up in the planning meeting to object to this development. Everybody had their say, with one councillor quite rightly calling this development a ghastly monstrosity!
Maybe they should let the building crumble to dust, then builders could put there usual modern estate type houses on the site that can be found anywhere.
But then shortsightedness is a trait of the NIMBY.
Padfoot, Calne says...
9:06pm Sun 14 Mar 10
mjhudston wrote:I would suggest mjhudston that you take a look at the proposed plans for this chapel and take a look at the surrounding area before you call anyone a nimby.The plans proposed plans are not right for the area nor is the material what is to be used.Not to mention that it will also take up parking places on a road which is already hard to park.
Triton wrote: I'm not surprised it was turned down - it was an awfully designed building which was in no way in-keeping with anything in the local vicinity let alone Seend Cleeve! How the planning officer could go above the local parish council and approve the contemporary materials in this white elephant of an extension is a violation of local democracy! If they want to build something sizeable out of zinc cladding, glass and cedar then I'm sure there is planty of space left down at Bowerhill Trading Estate! . I was one of the three people who stood up in the planning meeting to object to this development. Everybody had their say, with one councillor quite rightly calling this development a ghastly monstrosity!Nice to see the NIMBY squad can still stop progress! Maybe they should let the building crumble to dust, then builders could put there usual modern estate type houses on the site that can be found anywhere. But then shortsightedness is a trait of the NIMBY.
mjhudston you say shortsightedness is a traight of a nimby,i would suggest that you look in the mirror.Look at the bigger picture.
Triton, Calnetalk.com says...
6:39pm Mon 15 Mar 10
mjhudston wrote:Progress?? Have you actually bothered to study the plans before making a sweeping statement or are you some sort of planning oracle? They cannot let the original chapel "crumble to dust" because it is a listed building and they have a legal duty to maintain the building.
Triton wrote:Nice to see the NIMBY squad can still stop progress!
I'm not surprised it was turned down - it was an awfully designed building which was in no way in-keeping with anything in the local vicinity let alone Seend Cleeve! How the planning officer could go above the local parish council and approve the contemporary materials in this white elephant of an extension is a violation of local democracy! If they want to build something sizeable out of zinc cladding, glass and cedar then I'm sure there is planty of space left down at Bowerhill Trading Estate!
.
I was one of the three people who stood up in the planning meeting to object to this development. Everybody had their say, with one councillor quite rightly calling this development a ghastly monstrosity!
Maybe they should let the building crumble to dust, then builders could put there usual modern estate type houses on the site that can be found anywhere.
But then shortsightedness is a trait of the NIMBY.
.
The objectors to this project only object to the building of the size of the extension and the materials used in its construction, they do not, however, object to the conversion of the Chapel into a dwelling.
.
I would suggest, MJHudston that you do a little bit of research before accusing people of NIMBYism and short sightedness then you wouldn't appear to be rather ignorant!
.
Here is the planning link:
http://mvm-planning.
kennet.gov.uk/Northg
ate/PlanningExplorer
/Generic/StdDetails.
aspx?PT=Planning%20A
pplications%20On-Lin
e&TYPE=PL/PlanningPK
.xml&PARAM0=400007&X
SLT=/Northgate/Plann
ingExplorer/SiteFile
s/Skins/Kennet_aa/xs
lt/PL/PLDetails.xslt
&FT=Planning%20Appli
cation%20Details&DAU
RI=PLANNING&XMLSIDE=
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1:37am Thu 18 Mar 10
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Triton, Calnetalk.com says...
12:08pm Sun 14 Mar 10
.
I was one of the three people who stood up in the planning meeting to object to this development. Everybody had their say, with one councillor quite rightly calling this development a ghastly monstrosity!