PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT AT OUR LADY OF LOURDES CHURCH, LEIGH-ON-SEA, ESSEX
By now, many of you will have heard the good news that we received at the end of last week (too late for its inclusion in the Newsletter) that the Southend Borough Council have given the Planning Permission for our New Parish Centre. This has been a long and laborious process (the second attempt) and I am indebted to those members of the Hall Planning Committee and the many others who have collaborated in bringing this to a successful result. The outline plans have been available in the leaflet produced and distributed last October for the purposes of publicity and fundraising. The detailed plans can be viewed on the display boards in the Narthex. Obviously we are still some way from realising the costs, but we can be optimistic that the funding of this project is within our reach. The Planning Permission gives a good and added impetus to our fundraising and focuses on the goal ahead. I thank the many Parishioners who have made such a positive contribution to this project by their concrete help, support and prayers. Please continue all of this. I believe, with yourselves, that a new Parish Centre is so important for the effective and continuing mission of the Church in these times. This reality comes ever closer with this latest step forward.
With every blessing!
Fr Kevin Hale (20th January 2008)
Brentwood Diocesan Trust wish to substantially improve the available facilities at this church and, following the refusal of a previous planning application, have commissioned a new revised proposal, which will be submitted to Southend-on-Sea Borough Council in October 2007.
The existing church hall and associated outbuildings are in varying states of neglect and expensive to maintain. The church is keen to redevelop this part of the site to the benefit of both the church and the local community.
This new scheme is to demolish the existing parish buildings and erect a new two storey Parish Hall linked to the church, reconfigure the car parking layout to provide improved parking and amenity areas, together with new planting.
The proposal has been carefully designed to provide an efficient and flexible replacement building which will improve the attractiveness of the site and enhance the setting of the church. It is designed to add to and harmonise with the architectural styles of the existing group of buildings.
The new building is intended for the many groups who currently use the Parish facilities and it is hoped additional community groups will benefit from the development which is considered to be far more suitable to the needs of the wider community today.
The ground floor will provide a new multi-purpose hall, capable of subdivision, together with ancillary storage and toilet facilities, with covered walkways providing pedestrian access to the church and adjacent garden areas. A further large hall is proposed at first floor level which will include a simple kitchen and a small bar, together with additional toilets and storage space. Access for the disabled is to be provided to all areas, including lift and designated toilet facilities.
An enlarged car park will improve on site parking and the safe circulation of pedestrians and vehicles. Additional landscaping, including the planting of trees, is also proposed, to improve the visual amenities of the area and provide an attractive setting for the building, which has been carefully designed to compliment the church and respect the scale and character of other properties in the locality.
The proposal addresses the Councils concerns associated with the previously refused scheme and we very much hope you will feel able to give this project your support.
General enquires regarding fundraising support activities can be addressed to: OLLParishCentre@aol.com