Reply to THIS thread
Start a NEW Talkback Thread
Talkback Home

Gospel Hall - Petition of Objection - chris (7th Dec 2010 - 20:44:23) There are many residents of Liphook & Bramshott who have expressed their concern on this site about the planning application to build a 650 seat Exclusive Brethren Gospel Hall on land within the Southdowns National Park at Bohunt Manor. There are also those who believe that the Public Consultation on this application was inappropriately conducted. Our Parish Council have objected to this application on the following grounds: 1.Out of proportion to the needs of the residents of Bramshott & Liphook; 2.concerns re: light pollution in the countryside; 3.size of the car park(tarmac/hardcore) on almost 2.5acres leading to drainage problems; 4.object to growth of development in the SDNP; 5.loss of land which could be used for schools/multi purpose sports hall for future use of Liphook residents; 6.building in the SDNP could lead to further built uses. If you share the concerns expressed by residents and the Parish Council please take time to sign a Petition against this proposal. The Petition will be presented to the East Hampshire District Council members before this application goes to the EHDC Planning Meeting on 6th January 2011. Petitions will be available to sign from tomorrow at: Countrywide, Station Road Blackwell Press, Newtown Road Liphook Hardware, Station Road FC Hiscock Pet Foods, Midhurst Road Liphook Travel, Headley Road The Gables Newsagents, The Square SK Electrical, The Square Peep Inside, Station Road Anchor Garage, The Square The Links, Portsmouth Road The Deers Hut, Griggs Green Alternatively you can obtain a copy for you and your neighbours to sign from: hall-petition@orangehome.co.uk. The completed form should be returned to one of the above businesses by 22nd December. If you are concerned please get involved. The more support there is the bigger voice we have! This application is for a building within our part of the Southdowns National Park that is unacceptably out of proportion to the needs of the Community of Bramshott & Liphook. Please act now.

Re: Gospel Hall - Petition of Objection - claire (7th Dec 2010 - 22:31:18) hmmmmmmm ...so absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with the group who are making the application !

Re: Gospel Hall - Petition of Objection - Alan (8th Dec 2010 - 08:26:29) Claire, I don't think it has anything to do with the group looking to build their hall. In fact, I'm sure if they have requested to build it on the waste land between the Millennium Green and the Beaver Trading Estate that there would have been few if any objections. The issue is that this building is inappropriate in the National Park and is being used as means for the land owners to get a full housing estate approved on the land. Mark my words, this is what WILL happen if the Brethren Hall gets permission to be built. Alan

Re: Gospel Hall - Petition of Objection - simon (8th Dec 2010 - 08:27:08) Good initiative Chris. It does look as though this is just a build up of a property portfolio, rather than meeting a congregational need. Isnt there a church for this group in Fernhurst ?

Re: Gospel Hall - Petition of Objection - liz (8th Dec 2010 - 08:36:01) No Claire. Nothing to do with the group who are making the application as far as MOST people are concerned so do not try to twist things. There is an issue that the applicants will not allow the hall to be used for the wider community (as stated in the planning application) and that the proposed size is completely out of scale with local need (according to the Exclusive Brethren's own figures). The objections would apply to any group making a similar application.

Re: Gospel Hall - Petition of Objection - Mark (11th Dec 2010 - 21:10:24) Will I would rather this than a mosquw, not only that the brethrens are a fantastic group to deal with and many of them have a business in our area giving jobs to local people and supporting the cumminty with their products they sell and people that work for them, I have done much work for them and they are very pleasant, so before you all jub in may be you should sit back and look at the bigger picture, food for thought, what if you block it and they all pull out their business from this area because of it, many locals will be made redundant

Re: Gospel Hall - Petition of Objection - liz (13th Dec 2010 - 09:22:12) Mark you are totally missing the point. There are very few of the Brethren in the local area. About 29 in Liphook and 100 more in the wider area. Why do they need a hall for 650 when there is already one at Farncombe and one at Hordean? Why do they need to build on the National Park? I don't think there are enough of them for your jobs arguement to hold water. And what is wrong with a mosque if needed, as long as it's not in the National Park?

Re: Gospel Hall - Petition of Objection - chris (14th Dec 2010 - 23:15:15) As recently as yesterday the Government expressed their commitment to local communities having a greater say in decisions, including planning, that affect their Community. For this purpose the "Community" is made up of the residents of the Parish of Bramshott and Liphook. The application for a 650 person Gospel Hall, in the National Park, is regarded by many in the " Community" as being inappropriately located and unacceptably out of proportion to the needs of the "Community". As would be expected in an application of this nature the documentation submitted by the applicants agents will only tell us what they want us to know. There are factors ommitted that have major significance, including: * The fact that during the period the Brethren state they were looking for alternative sites in and around Fernhurst, including Liphook, sites were purchased in Horndean & Farncombe where Gospel Halls with a joint capacity of 1,400 have been built. * That a newly built small Gospel Hall has been opened in Camelsdale wlithin the last year. * Liphook is referred to in the application as if its a significant local Town that that carries a carries influence over the wider local area. It is actually very much a "Community" Villlage. If you are concerned about having a say about this proposed development in our village please take time to sign a Petition that can be found in many local shops. This will be the final opportunity we have to make our combined views known to the councillors of East Hants District Council and to request they refuse this application that is within the South Downs National Park and unacceptably out of proportion to the needs of the "Community" of Bramshott & Liphook.

Re: Gospel Hall - Petition of Objection - Russ Ellis (15th Dec 2010 - 09:56:16) I totally agree with Chris’s comments. To give you some idea of the size of this development the building will be approx 3 times the size of the church centre and the car parking will be larger than the Midhurst road car park along with street lighting etc. surrounded by a high chain link fence with locked metal gates for the soul use of the brethren. As said they are totally overstating their needs. There is certainly no need for a hall in the Liphook Community especially not in the National Park.

Re: Gospel Hall - Petition of Objection - carla (15th Dec 2010 - 18:36:43) Community" Villlage??!! ...... small town with very limited facilities would be a better description

Re: Gospel Hall - Petition of Objection - chris (15th Dec 2010 - 23:16:15) Carla I will stick with my description thanks. Liphook is a village that boasts an annual Carnival that has existed for over 100 years and sees thousands of local residents on the streets each October, Liphook in Bloom who have taken our village to the final of the national Village in Bloom competition, an annual Charity Bike Ride that has raised over £700,000 for local charities and causes, a Classic Car Day that goes from strength each year and donates its proceeds to local causes, plus many other great events based around our residents. That is what I call a Community Village!

Re: Gospel Hall - Petition of Objection - Philip Jordan (22nd Dec 2010 - 18:02:25) Should the application go before the relevant EHDC Planning Committee Meeting it will be 3rd February and not January as previously advised. This is the result of minor amendments received from the "South Downs Gospel Hall Trust" to their application plans. If you wish to object to this 2.5 acre fenced and gated site in the South Downs National Park on the Portsmouth Road with a 1,150 sq meter hall for 650 people, for use only by the "Exclusive Brethren", please sign the petition in circulation. If you have not yet done so, then please seek out a petition form in the premises highlighted at the top of this item. Or if you wish to have a petition form please e-mail hall-petition@orangehome.co.uk. You might like to obtain signatures from like minded neighbours and friends who wish to protect Liphook's fast dwindling green open-spaces Philip Jordan ( Parish Councillor)

Re: Gospel Hall - Petition of Objection - Clare T (30th Dec 2010 - 13:46:48) Anyone interested in this thread & looking for more information may wish to check out this link: www.peebs.net/...

Re: Gospel Hall - Petition of Objection - Simon sharrattt (30th Dec 2010 - 14:04:09) I think people should remove their heads from the sand and realise that this is just an attempt to obtain planning permission in order to build a very cheap facility that will never be used. Just as the 'Exclusive Bretheren' have done in Bristol in 2009 they will apply for planning in the future for a change of use. It is no surprise that the founder of this religious sect flies around in his private jet while we all suffer through the hard times! This proposal is utter nonsence and I believe the potential users of this facility should be invited to a public meeting. I doubt if any will attend and certainly not 650 of them. The original thread for this story can be found here Plans for new Gospel Hall on the Bohunt Manor Estate

Re: Gospel Hall - Petition of Objection - Tom (31st Dec 2010 - 11:18:08) I disagree with Carla's comments regarding Liphook's "limited facilities". Really? I grew up in the Village and whenever I return to visit my family for events such as the carnival, I'm always pleased to see familiar stores still thriving as well as new businesses making a name for themselves. The facilities that spring to my mind are the transport links, a decent sized major supermarket, Library, Millennium Hall, Youth Groups, the nearby Herons Lesure centre, not to mention the strong sense of community, I can see why Liphook is such an attractive place to move to. I note with interest the recent "hot topics" on this site (Nationwide Building Society, Parish Council) demonstrate the pride the residents have with their village. I'm sure your comments wern't ment to come across as negative, however they wern't helpful nor constructive to this thread.

Re: Gospel Hall - Petition of Objection - rita (1st Jan 2011 - 20:09:33) Carla, your comment made me very cross, if you do not like liphook then why dont you move. I have lived in Liphook all of my life and have seen many changes, some good, some not so good. but I think this is still a thriving village. I do not like the idea of the gospel hall though, I can't see a need for it myself.

Reply to THIS thread
Talkback Home