A CHURCH in Barnoldswick denied permission for a new building on the casting vote of the planning committee chairman has appealed against the decision.

Residents living near the Gospel Mission Hall, on Hollins Road, opposed the plans for a new building.

The current wooden former barracks hut was bought in 1956 and is at the end of its useful life. Now church members say they need a bigger building capable of accommodating their growing congregation.

They submitted plans for a two-storey building, doubling the "footprint" of the existing building and with facilities including a teaching room, office space, a crche and Sunday school area.

Opinion on the plans was divided when Pendle Council's West Craven committee met last September, although residents lobbied members to refuse permission. They said the building was too big, too modern and out of keeping with the picturesque Valley Gardens area.

The council's planning officers had recommended members to approve the scheme. However, when the vote was evenly split it fell to committee chairman Coun Margaret Bell to use her casting vote, and she chose to oppose the plans.

Now the church has exercised its right of appeal against that decision. The appeal goes direct to the Secretary of State for the Environment and it will now be up to a Government-appointed planning inspector to make the final decision.

It could be several weeks before the outcome of the appeal is known.