Church car park plans approved

A new car park will be built in a churchyard after plans were given the go ahead.

The car park will be installed at St Mary Magdalenes in East Castle Street, Bridgnorth after plans by Reverend Simon Caldwell were approved by Shropshire Council’s South Planning Committee on Tuesday.

Rev Caldwell told the committee: “The application is before the committee because the town council is concerned about the access – but the land has already been used informally for parking and there is no problem with the stability of the land.

“It is not just for disabled parking – two bays are proposed – but also four general regular church users spaces.

“The council’s own heritage officer has no problem with it. The need for the parking is not questioned in the planning officer’s report.

“Without consent we will be unable to offer the current parking operation, causing disappointment.

“There will be chained access with a padlock to ensure people are not coming up to use the car park and not the church.

“Parking will only be available when the church is being used.”

Councillor Simon Harris said he was worried cars will have to drive over a muddy footpath and said he felt it was “too tight” to access.

But Councillor Madge Shineton added: “I looked at it with some interest. It appears to have been used informally and knocked about.

“It has been left untidy and like nobody cares for it, but we do need to look at the needs of people who do go to church.

“But I would like to see the bays marked out properly and I am not sure the current alignment is the best you can get for reversing out. But I do think it is needed.”

Councillor Tony Parsons added that he was “broadly supportive” of the plans.
Emma Bailey, planning officer, told the committee in her report: “This application seeks full planning consent for the formation of six parking spaces and associated works at St Mary’s Church, Bridgnorth.

“The parking spaces would be positioned along the western boundary of the churchyard, enclosed by post and rail fencing and secured by a chain across the frontage. 

“Two of the six spaces would be made larger for improved accessibility. 

“The materials used for the surface of the parking area would act primarily to protect the ground beneath, being a three dimensional, no-dig cellular confinement system with a permeable surface, filled with 5mm lime-free grit and hard-wearing grass mix.”

She added: “The site lies in a particularly sensitive area of historic interest, being within close proximity to St Mary’s Church (Grade II*) and Bridgnorth Castle, and within the Bridgnorth Conservation Area. 

“The parking area would be positioned to the north-western corner of an area of churchyard, on land that is currently used informally for the parking of vehicles.”
She said the application came before the committee because Bridgnorth Town Council objected to the plans.

The town council said: “Members wish to object to this application at this point in time because they have the following potential concerns: the access and stability of the access road – the proposal only provides two disabled parking spaces and, given the reasoning in the application, we would expect all spaces to be for disabled parking; also the appropriateness in a conservation area.”