Plans to convert a former church into a day nursery have been approved despite concerns about insufficient parking.
Clarence House Day Nurseries had applied to South Holland District Council (SHDC) for the change of use of the former Lighthouse Church at 10 Haverfield Road, in Spalding, writes Local Democracy Reporter Oliver Castle.
SHDC said it had received 176 representations from the public – with many people raising concerns about the lack of parking at the site, which is close to the council offices and Spalding Grammar School in a part of the town that can be busy during the morning rush hour.
At a planning committee meeting on Wednesday, June 24, Coun Andrew Woolf (Conservative – Moulton, Weston and Cowbit) said he had “no objections” to the proposal itself, but is worried about the roads.
He added: “When the buses are there for the school pick-up it already becomes congested – and I can see this being even worse.
“So, no problem with the actual principle of what they do but a big problem with the highways.”
However, despite concerns about parking, Coun Anthony Casson felt that it wouldn’t be an issue.
He added: “When this was a church, there was an awful lot of traffic movement then because there was no end of people who used to attend the Lighthouse Church.
“At these sort of places, they don’t just drop the children off first thing in the morning and pick them up at night, I think it will be like most of them – it will be coming and going all day.
“So, that won’t be quite such a bigger problem and everybody won’t going at the same time, I don’t think.”
The application was approved subject to conditions.
