- Netherfield Methodist Church on Victoria Road will become 13 one-bedroom flats
- The flats are intended for supported living
- Gedling Borough Council’s planning committee approved the scheme
- Nine objections cited privacy, noise, parking and anti-social behaviour
A former Methodist church in the Nottinghamshire village of Netherfield will be turned into 13 flats for supported living, West Bridgford Wire reported in October 2022, after Gedling Borough Council’s planning committee approved the plans.
The applicant, Hockley Developments Ltd, will convert Netherfield Methodist Church on Victoria Road into 13 one-bedroom apartments, adding a new floor, communal spaces, a staff office and storage. Six parking spaces will be provided, below the usual standard, because the site is close to shops and public transport.
“The building is currently vacant and has been so for a significant period of time,” said Mike Avery, the council’s head of development and place. Labour councillor Peter Barnes backed the plan: “This sort of development is what we need in the community in a place where you don’t need your private transport.” Conservative councillor Mike Adams was more cautious: “There’s no guarantee this is going to be a supported living site.”
The council received nine objections raising concerns about privacy, security, noise, parking and anti-social behaviour. Planning documents indicated the flats could be marketed commercially, although supported living remained the main intention.
Turning an empty church into small homes for people who need support is one of the more socially useful ways to reuse a redundant building. For Jamaican churches, and Jamaican families in the English Midlands, the scheme shows both the opportunity and the checks involved: planners want evidence of need, neighbours worry about who will live there, and parking rules may be relaxed near good transport. Churches with vacant buildings in Jamaican towns could explore similar partnerships for elderly members or people with disabilities.
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