St Anne’s reprieved
By Bernard McGinley
On 28 September the Planning Committee of Hastings Borough Council followed its case officer’s recommendation in refusing the application to replace St Anne’s Church in Chambers Road Hollington with five houses.
The decision is a vindication of local objections previewed in HIP 210 (Hollington Church Under Threat of Demolition). The officer’s report had omitted reference to paragraph 152 of the National Planning Policy Framework which encourages “the conversion of existing buildings”. However, council members of the planning committee noted that its Conservation Officer had advised that the church should be regarded as a ‘non-designated heritage asset’ (NDHA) – a material consideration in any planning decision – and that she recommended retention and reuse.
CREDIT: Bernard McGinley
Additional reasons for reaching the decision to refuse the application were:
• “poor design that fails to take the opportunities available for improving the character and quality of an area”, including “loss of openness and green space”;
• the poor design of waste and recycling facilities: the case officer found them “not particularly accessible for older persons or persons with limited mobility;
• lack of justification of the loss of a community facility (whether as a church or a gym, the building remains a community asset).
Voting was cross-party: Cllr Matthew Beaver (Con) proposed the refusal and Cllr Alan Roberts (Lab) seconded. There were nine votes to one against, with just Cllr Mike Edwards (Con) favouring the application.
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