2/5/2008

Local News in Aldershot

Council refuses to buy site of chapel

A move to compulsorily purchase a barren piece of land that used to house an 18th century chapel has been thrown out.

Cllr Mike Roberts asked if Tory-run Rushmoor Borough Council could take charge of the “eyesore” site on the corner of Herrett Street and Ash Road in Aldershot.

However, deputy council leader Roland Dibbs quashed the request on finance grounds, saying at a full council meeting that any such attempt would be too costly.

The council’s development control committee refused developer Glynn Evans’ proposal in August 2005 to replace the Ebenezer Methodist Chapel with seven one-bedroom flats. Mr Evans demolished the historic building in 2006 after an appeal against the committee’s decision failed.

The site has since remained dormant, creating concerns from residents about it becoming a magnet for anti-social behaviour.

“It’s an intractable situation that needs to be sorted out,” Cllr Roberts, who represents the area for Labour, said at the meeting. “It is in a very prominent position on one of the streets into the town and is an eyesore. The council should compulsorily purchase the site from the developer and get another in to get it sorted out.”

Residents living near to the site appeared to agree with Cllr Roberts, saying they had been kept in the dark about the plot of land. Broken bottles, rubbish, cans and building debris are strewn across the land.

A woman who lives in Herrett Street and preferred not to be named feared the site would attract yobs.

She said: “There are lots of people around this area at night, with the takeaway restaurants around here and several pubs. People already hang about there and it can be worrying as you never know what might happen.”

She welcomed her ward councillor’s initiative to try to do something positive there.

“Although I never wanted the chapel demolished, it would be better if there was something other than what’s there now,” she added.

“I think seven flats are too much for that area. Where would people park?”

Joey Keenan, who walks past the site every day on his way to work, said: “I’m surprised the council chose not to take control. It looks awful and brings the area down.”

At the meeting, Cllr Dibbs said: “We are anticipating a future planning application and any decision over whether to compulsorily purchase would require a commitment of public funds.

“Compulsory purchase orders are an extremely complicated issue that can take three to four years to process.

“It was a very attractive building but was not listed and therefore the developer had the right to demolish it. The site was refused planning permission by the development control committee. It was then demolished, leaving rather a mess.

“I would suggest that Cllr Roberts contacts the council’s officers directly to find out the scale of what a compulsory purchase order involves.”

He did not rule out the poss-ibility of the council pursuing a compulsory purchase order in the future.

After the meeting, head of planning Keith Holland said Mr Evans had complied with a council threat to impose an order forcing him to tidy up the site.

“There was a situation when the area was a real eyesore, as the developer hadn’t removed all the debris and a fence that had been erected kept falling down,” he explained.

“We said we might issue an untidy site notice that would have required him to clean up.

“He did decide to do that off his own bat. The site now is not in a great condition but it is not nearly as bad as it was before.”

Mr Holland confirmed that there had been no recent contact between Mr Evans and the council.

“I would imagine there will be another planning application from him soon, as it isn’t making any money as it is,” he added. “Compulsory purchase orders can take a very long time, as you need to have another scheme in place. It is moving towards the extreme end at the moment but the situation isn’t extreme yet.”

The News was unable to contact Mr Evans through his former planning agent, D and M Planning.

First printed in: Aldershot News and Mail