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New gospel hall for Goosnargh
Gospel site: The former MoD generator building which is to be demolished
Members of a new church community could soon be meeting in Goosnargh.
Preston Council has given the go-ahead to the Blackgate Trust – a charitable organisation representing the Brethren Christian Evangelical Community – to demolish a former Ministry of Defence building on Whittingham Lane and build a gospel hall/meeting room in its place.
The building once acted as a generator, providing power and services to other MoD structures in the area – including an underground nuclear bunker – which were used for operations during the World War Two and by the Royal Observer Corps until the end of the Cold War.
The former generator building on Whittingham Lane has been redundant for many years.
The proposed gospel hall would be located to the rear of the site and also include parking and ancillary areas to serve the hall and a new access onto Whittingham Lane. The trust says the new gospel hall will be used primarily for Sunday worship – with two services attended by up to 85 people – prayer meetings on a Monday and occasional bible readings on a Friday.
Also, the hall is to primarily serve Brethren members living in the Goosnargh and Whittingham area who currently have to travel to Preston or Bilsborrow to meet.
Chartered town planners Steven Abbott Associates LLP, say the proposed hall is “relatively modest in terms of its size and scale” and “significantly smaller than the existing building on site, both in terms of its overall height and general scale and massing”.
They also describe it as “low key and unobtrusive visually”.
Prior to the plans being submitted, the Blackgate Trust carried out a public exhibition in Goosnargh and gave a presentation to Whittingham Parish Council.
There has been concern from residents regarding potential noise from car doors and Whittingham Council has voiced concerns that there should be no parking on Whittingham Lane.
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Weather for Longridge
Wednesday 19 June 2013
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 11 C to 17 C
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