North Derbyshire charity caring for people in poverty wins change of use consent to create community centre in empty church building

Freedom Community Project has been successful in its application for change of use of St Bernadette’s Catholic Church on High Street, Bolsover, which is flanked by the Blue Bell pub and a residential house.

The application to Bolsover District Council shows no external changes to the building. The applicant proposes to provide off-road parking at the side of the building by extending the existing paving by 25m. The grassed area at the rear would be retained so that staff of the charity could use it for sitting out in good weather; future uses could include activities for a parenting group meeting about once a week.

Concern was raised by residents of the house next door. A letter sent by Mr PA and BM Turton to the district council on August 1 stated: “We are not trying to stop The Freedom Project continuing their great work for the community from the church premises, but the change of use and added traffic, public who would be able to access areas to the rear, is a significant change that will affect our privacy and noise increase. The land between both properties has never been “public access” and if this is to be public access, a series of windows in our property to bedrooms, study, kitchen can be looking directly into our home from approximately 3m.”

The church building was erected in the Sixties and sold by the Diocese of Nottingham more than three years ago because the congregation could no longer support it. Old Bolsover Town Council backed the application for change of use, stating: “Not only will this benefit the community, it will also repurpose an empty building that has been empty for a significant period of time and prevent it falling into disrepair.”

Freedom Community Project is currently based at Hillstown Methodist Church and operates support centres in Bolsover, Carr Vale, Renishaw, Clowne, Shirebrook, South Normanton and Warsop. The charity has been asked by the Derbyshire Times to comment on its successful application.