Plans to turn former Dunchurch church into nursery have been put on hold

Plans to turn a former church into a nursery for 45 children in Dunchurch have been put on hold by Rugby Borough Council’s planning committee amid traffic and parking concerns.

The unused Dunchurch Methodist Church, Cawston Lane, Dunchurch, has been earmarked to accommodate children aged from six months to four years. Up to 10 staff would be working there at any one time.

Objections were raised by 24 neighbouring properties highlighting traffic, congestion and parking concerns and the potential for noise disturbance.

Resident Robert Collins addressed the committee.

“To have 45 children having staggered outside play will come as a significant new noise problem to the neighbouring properties throughout the day," he said.

“The council admits this is below (parking) standards, the 10-12 staff will obviously park anywhere locally.

“The document alludes to the fact the area does not need more parking as the new use is in the same class but this was a church, only used on a Sunday morning, and they closed it due to a lack of attendance. This change places a significant and new nuisance all week at peak times.

“We in Dunchurch know the traffic and parking problems around the local schools now.

"The road outside this site is not divided, it is virtually a single carriageway and has a junction to this busy, major A road. Parents unable to stop by the school or passing through will park on this A road, causing a significant new hazard, congestion, nuisance and pollution on this already overburdened road at peak times.”

The council’s planning report acknowledged that the parking spaces available for the proposal fell below standards but that the current permission for use as a church had the potential to create a bigger parking problem. Highways officers from Warwickshire County Council raised no objection after initial plans had been amended twice.

Planning agent Richard Cook, representing applicant Simon Kember, highlighted the support of the county council’s early years department, which states there is a lack of nursery provision in Rugby, and that this would bring back into use a disused building.

However, the concerns over parking dominated the debate with a number of councillors uncomfortable with a lack of detail over a traffic management plan.

Councillor Neil Sandison (Lib Dem, Eastlands) said: “We are being asked to vote for an invisible condition, members have had no sight of it, there isn’t even an informative to say what we would expect in that management plan.

“I am sorry, as things stand I cannot vote for this.”

The vote to defer the decision pending details on pick-up and drop-off times, on-street parking monitoring, parking space monitoring and dedicated drop-off bays was unanimous.