PLANS have been revealed to demolish a chapel and build a residential development in Flimby.

Allerdale Borough Council has received an outline planning permission application to demolish Westfield Methodist Church in Flimby and build three dwellings.

Plans for work at the West Lane site involve extending the residential curtilage of West Winds.

West Winds is the residence of the applicants, Mr and Mrs Underwood.

Their application involves a brownfield site within a built up area of Flimby where new residential developments are supported in principal by adopted Development Plan policy and national policy as set out in the National Planning Policy Framework.

Worship at the chapel ended in 2009 when the congregation joined onto that of St Nicholas Church of England.

A youth club was held at the church every Friday in 2019 but trustees later sold the building again due to concerns about maintenance costs.

The applicants have considered if there would be a better use for the building but the village band’s practice room has recently been refurbished along with Flimby Sports and Social Club so there would be no other plans for the building.

“All the available evidence points to the conclusion that the community’s day to day needs are very well met in the village.

“To retain the chapel with no realistic prospect of any viable community use flies in the face of national policy which seeks to significantly increase the supply of housing nor - in the absence of any demand for community use - would this course of action improve the community facilities offer in Flimby.”

A survey of the chapel was carried out by Hesketh Ecology to consider the impact of demolishing the building on a potential bat population but they found that there was no evidence of roosting bats in the chapel.

As the application is in outline, further details will be revealed in a reserved matters application at a later date. The general public can view and comment on all planning applications submitted to Allerdale Borough Council for approval via the planning portal.

The development panel take the public’s comments into account when they decide whether to grant planning consent.

The latest estimated decision date for the planning application is December 27.