14/00449/FUL | Demolition of church hall and vicarage

[Joe K]

Typical of the city council that their planning site is not working in the run-up to the GCH housing stock transfer vote. It might seem like overkill, but it makes the email blackout look more realistic, not just a transparent attempt to forestall any challenges to the scheme until it's too late.

I should be coming downstairs to turn off the computer, instead I'm posting this, because putting the link to the 'Demolition of church hall and vicarage' aplication on Facebook just gives a bad link page. Hopefully it works here, so I can link to this page instead.

Note that this really isn't my fight. I'll support anyone's efforts to challenge authority, but I feel the property and the cause are too far away for me to lodge an objection. At least I can offer the benefits of my own experiences with the planning department, even with the constraints of my 'feeble mind'...

14/00449/FUL | Demolition of church hall and vicarage. Proposed residential development comprising 16 one and two bedroom flats, 3 two bedroom houses and 6 three bedroom houses. New vehicular access from Reservoir Road with associated parking. | St Aldate Church Finlay Road Gloucester GL4 6TN

[Deleted]

The same type of people who are so vociferously against this development are the ones who were in favour of building the riding arena on public open space. The CofE can do as they please with their own property. Anyway, they're turning the old church into a multi-use community centre.

[Joe K]

I hadn't been fully aware that the old church was going to be turned in to a community hub. As I said, this area is pretty much off my radar, as the only thing I've directly experienced is the scummy behaviour of some kids at the Venture play area.

Way back in the days of Gloucester LETS, before they made way for Fair Shares, who mainly seemed focused on providing a 'free' (effectively) bus service for Gymnasian, my wife gave the vicar a couple of IT lessons, but that may have been the current fella's predecessor.

The church hall, as opposed to the distinctive church itelf, is in a very bad state from what I recall. I suppose the new housing is the big issue here really. If the site was working, there would probably be an additional document by now promising that the new houses wouldn't overlook existing ones. I've told the council on Twitter that it's disgusting they can't maintain the site when people need to see this kind of information. Still, the tranfer vote will have taken place now, the council will almost certainly have gotten what they want despite my complaint to police a week ago, and now the council might just find time to do their basic jobs...

[Deleted]

It may even have been two vicars ago. The last one was unutterably useless, never once attending a single Environment Forum meeting that he was down to attend.

[Joe K]

Do they still have Environment Forum meetings, or has that been scrapped too?

The site continues to not work. I didn't have time on Friday, but I am going to have to ask for all new comments, if there are any, before long...

[Deleted]

Yes, they still have Environment Forum meetings, but I haven't attended for a long time. The city council takes no notice of anything anyone says, and the forum never discusses anything remotely controversial. If you want to attend, you should contact Meyrick Brentnall.

[Joe K]

I shall have to give it a go, in quieter times.

The planning site is still giving an error message. I see the council using the 'excuse' that most decisions are made by officers, and not the committee. I don't see what that has to do with people not being able to see documents, and make objections to, or even support an application, accordingly? No applications should be dealt with until the site is fixed.

[Joe K]

In passing, it looks like the level crossing has been properly tarmac'd now. Much smoother...