Falkirk church gets go ahead for house in its rectory
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The change will mean the old rectory belonging to Christ Church, on Kerse Lane, will now be subdivided to include a self-contained residence.
A further two bedrooms, kitchen, kitchenette, meeting hall and meeting room will be retained for use by the Episcopal church next-door.
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Hide AdPlanning officers were reluctant to agree the change saying that having a separate residence and a hall in the same building could lead to noise problems.
They were also concerned at the lack of privacy and outdoor space that any occupants would have and recommended refusal.
But at a meeting of Falkirk Council's planning committee, town centre Councillor Pat Reid argued that the church it should be allowed to make the change.
He said that work was being done to improve soundproofing on the 150-year-old building - which will continue to be owned by the church.
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Hide AdHe added that the hall would never be used for events that would have live or loud music.
Tom Ogilvie, representing Christ Church, said the rectory had always been used as a residence and only part of it had been converted into a church hall in 1986.
However, the accommodation is no longer required for church use and the proposal, he said, would only improve a subdivision that already exists.
The change would, he said, allow them to use "perfectly good vacant living space" while the income would contribute to the cost of maintenance.
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Hide AdThe information in this story came from a public notice published in this newspaper. You can read more public notices in our classified section today.