Asian wedding bid for Accrington chapel

12:20pm Thursday 28th August 2008

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AN ACCRINGTON landmark could become a wedding reception venue.

But councillors considering plans to transform Richmond Road’s former Methodist chapel into a reception venue and restaurant, said they were ‘torn’ because only 44 parking spaces were available.

They deferred the decision for planning officers to work on a compromise with the applicant, Nazakat Ali.

Hyndburn Council planning committee membes said they could not refuse an application which would protect the “stunning piece of architecture”.

But they said equally they could not allow the proposal to create ‘on-street parking chaos’.

The plan is to create a ground-floor function room, principally for Asian weddings, holding 160 people and a first floor rest-aurant seating 150.

As a result, 44 car parking spaces would only be a third of the minimum planning requirement.

Chief planning officer Brent Clarkson said: “This is an imposing and attractive building and the applicant has carried out a lot of work such as cleaning, replacement of windows.

“It’s difficult to find a use for old buildings in residential areas.

"The main issue is one of highway safety, as there is a real possibility of creating a lot of on-street parking.”

A spokesman for the developer told the meeting his client would not be using more than one floor at a time, which would reduce the impact on parking.

However Coun Dave Parkins said: “Why would the applicant spend all that money and only use one floor?

"We don’t have the manpower or time to police it and enforce it once planning permission is given.”

Coun Claire Pritchard said: “It’s a stunning building and I would like to see it back in use - but because of the parking issue I don’t know which way to go.”

Simon Prideaux of Hyndburn’s planning department said: “We could look at how to control and manage this two floor situation.

"Officers are hapy to talk to the applicant and figure out a way forward.”

The building, presently classified for use as a snooker hall, is being used as a mosque, which would continue if the new plans went ahead.

The restaurant and function room part of the building would ‘wrap around’ the mosque at the front and back.