Spalding’s Lighthouse Church hope South Holland District Council members will see benefit of Coneys proposal after it has been recommended for refusal
The people behind plans to turn an empty department store into a community hub are hoping that councillors will see the benefits of this proposal which is set to be refused next week.
The Lighthouse Pentecostal Church is looking to create a church, play area, cafe, food bank, youth club and meeting area within the former Coneys store in Broad Street, Spalding.
But South Holland District Council’s planning committee has been recommended to refuse the application on the grounds that it would ‘‘undermine the vitality and viability’ of Spalding town centre as it will not be used for retail.
Jenny Tedbury, on behalf of the church, says the recommendation to Wednesday’s meeting is ‘disappointing’.
She said: “The proposal has the potential to meet some of the needs that the town centre is currently lacking, a soft play / café for parents with their children, a safe space for young people, a range of different activities, clubs and programmes that are run by the Lighthouse Church including our Sunday services and events.
“We are very disappointed that the decision is still to refuse the application, however, we hope that the committee members will see the community benefits of this proposal and support those in Spalding who agree that this is a good use for the building.”
The planning committee last discussed the application at its March meeting. It had then received some support from members who felt the benefits of the scheme would outweigh any harm while others felt that this was the wrong location for such a scheme. Councillors had asked officers to work with the church to overcome issues and come up with appropriate conditions.
Readers have also given a mixed reaction to the latest recommendation to refuse. Some felt that the key to Spalding’s revival was retail while others felt the church proposal was a good use for the building but there was a cheeky suggestion for it to become a Wetherspoons.
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