Controversial plan to demolish Derbyshire church for new housing development gets green light

The application by Johnson Homes to knock down the former Sacred Heart and Our Lady of Victories Church and adjacent bungalow, in Creswell Road, Clowne, and build 12 three-bedroomed homes on the site has been approved by Bolsover District Council.

The site has not been used as a place of worship since 2017 and has been rented out to a private tenant in recent years.

Residents living nearby objected to the plans, raising concerns over the loss of privacy in their own properties and the effect the development could have on wildlife, with one objector stating there were bats living nearby.

However the planning officer's report said no evidence of bats roosting on the site had been uncovered, adding that barring the removal of a section of hedge along the site frontage, all existing trees and hedges adjacent to the site were to be retained.

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The report stated: "Most of the dwellings are orientated to face away from the neighbouring dwellings to minimise overlooking.

"Where the plots directly face a neighbouring rear garden they mainly achieve a separation distance of 10.5m to the boundary.

"Only two of the plots fall slightly short of this distance but the neighbouring dwellings have particularly long rear gardens (18-19m) and a neighbouring outbuilding interrupts direct views to the north west."

The development will be a mixture of detached and semi-detached properties with allocated parking and some garages.