A REDUNDANT Winchester church is set to be demolished to make way for eight new homes on a city estate.

City council planners have given the go-ahead for the redevelopment of St Thomas More Catholic Church, a landmark site on the corner of Stoney Lane and St Matthew’s Road in Weeke.

The scheme would see building of two two-bedroom flats, five three-bedroom dwellings and one four-bedroom house.

Proposals include onsite parking, new trees and landscaping of the site.

Council officers recommended the plans for approval and it was decided under delegated powers rather than by councillors on the planning committee as there were no objections from local residents.

The applicant, Footstep Living, supported by planning consultants from Ampfield-based Pro Vision had leafleted more than 100 neighbours and met local councillors as well as council planners before the application was submitted.

This led to the scheme being revised and arguably lack of opposition at the planning approval stage.

The church was built in 1957 as a temporary chapel on the growing housing estate. A bungalow for the incumbent priest was added in the 1970s but the congregation dwindled in recent years.

The church building has stood empty and disused since Bishop Crispian Hollis celebrated the last mass there in 2009. The vacant building has now fallen into disrepair.

At one stage the Winchester Muslim community were said to be interested in acquiring the site for a mosque but it came to nothing as it was unable to persuade the church to sell the site.

The Catholic Diocese of Portsmouth plans to plough proceeds of the sale, the amount is undisclosed, into paying for the newly-built pastoral centre adjoining St Peter’s Catholic Church in Jewry Street in the city centre.

Richard Osborn, senior planning consultant at Ampfield-based Pro Vision, said: “There has been no firm interest in reusing the site as a community use. Weeke is already well-served by community facilities, including the primary school, adult education centre, St Barnabus Church Hall, Wesley Methodist Church and Weeke Community Centre.”

Mr Osborn added: “The site is a stone’s throw from shops, schools and open space in Weeke and it is also walkable to city centre employment.

“There were no objections from statutory consultees and only limited concerns from the public. As a result, the planning officer was comfortable in approving the scheme under delegated powers.

“The public consultation and positive engagement with officers contributed greatly to the success of this project which will be the latest high quality development in this part of the city,” he said.