Residents Hit back at Church Redevelopment

The proposed redevelopment of Kings Road church has caused concern for neighbours, who say that the scale of the proposed building is out of proportion to the surrounding residential buildings in a designated conservation area, and mean that an historical building will be demolished.

The group, Neighbours Of The Proposed Kings Road Church Redevelopment, add that they are concerned about noise, that there will be inadequate parking provision and traffic management, and loss of light and privacy to neighbours. You can contact the group at flip_woods@hotmail.com.

The Kings Road Church has more than 100 members, and has moved its Sunday services to a local school, due, it says ‘to the limited and outdated original building that is simply not fit-for-purpose’.

The new building has been designed with low energy, economic and ecological features in mind. It will feature green roofs, and windows facing Kings Road have been reduced to ‘ensure minimal lighting overspill as well as mitigating any potential noise impacts’. Bat and swift roosts have been included in the design, and the ground floor and southern gable external walls of the building will be constructed from local waste streams of brick and stone.

Sue Gorst, KRC Pastor, told Berkhamsted Living: ‘Ultimately the new building will create a centre or hub for well-being and improve care and support for the people of Berkhamsted, including for those most vulnerable. The aim is to create a link between the church and the community for future generations in a sustainable way.’

The changes in the designs of the new building have taken into consideration feedback on the size and height of the building among other comments. These new designs should now be viewable on the Dacorum planning portal.

Image credit: Darc Studio and Kirkland Fraser Moor