Hereford church can stay as care home plan refused

A bid to knock down a modern Hereford church and replace it with a 52-bed care home has been thrown out by councillors, despite officials recommending it.

Worcester-based Heritage Manor Ltd, which runs the Newstead House nursing home in the northeast of the city, sought planning permission last year to replace the neighbouring St Barnabas Church in Venns Lane with a similar home, with which it would share staff.

Given the strength of local feeling around the proposal, it was passed to Herefordshire Council’s planning committee of councillors to decide on.

Richard Wood, resident of the neighbouring St Barnabas church vicarage, told the committee the proposed care home would be “six times the square metrage” of the church it would replace.

Claiming to own a proportion of the land in question, he said this made the firm’s application “invalid”.

Heritage Manor managing director Simon Patient pointed out that local health board figures predict a 50 per cent increase in over-80s in the county, “the part of the population we serve”.

Neighbouring ward councillor Frank Cornthwaite said his own Christian fellowship and four others, as well as community groups, regularly met there before “having to vacate it” in March 2024. And he pointed out that national policy increasingly favours retaining churches and other community assets.

For the committee, Coun Mark Woodall questioned whether such a care home needed to be in the city.

Coun Polly Andrews replied: “It’s much easier to have them in cities so they can get the staff.” And she added: “If we turn it down, will the building just sit there?”

Coun Bruce Baker asked “who would pay the bills” if the building were to revert to community use.

And committee chairman Coun Terry James pointed out: “We are struggling for provision in Herefordshire.”

But Coun Richard Thomas said he knew of two care homes locally that “haven’t got enough patients”. Meanwhile the nearest alternative community venue to the church, in Holmer, “is chock full”.

Apparently swayed by the debate, Coun Stef Simmons proposed refusing the bid on grounds of amenity, overlooking and lack of evidence that alternative uses for the church had been explored.

Agreeing to this, the council’s development manager Kelly Gibbons added officers will also “investigate the validity” of the site ownership declaration accompanying the application.

The committee voted 12 to two to refuse the application, with one abstention.