Hartlepool church and neighbours asked to discuss their differences before decision made on new plans for community groups

Hartlepool councillors have delayed voting on plans to allow wider community use of meetings rooms at St Luke’s Parish Centre, at St Luke’s Church – with officers stating ‘there is no easy answer’.

Hartlepool Borough Council Planning Committee heard proposals to allow meeting rooms at the church to be used for wider community and public use.

The plans submitted by Julia Taylor, churchwarden at the Tunstall Avenue site, gave examples the rooms could be used for slimming groups, adult training groups and keep fit groups.

Currently the rooms are only used in connection with worship and associated activities at the church, including scouts, girl guides and boys brigade meetings.

However concerns were raised by residents over the plans, including a 22 signature petition, citing issues such as parking.

Councillors sympathised with both sides and ultimately moved to defer making a decision to allow for further conversation between parties.

‘The the issue we have is parking’

Reverend Norman Shave, priest-in-charge at the church, argued the plans for wider use of the rooms would benefit the area.

He said: “Our desire is for the rooms to be open to the local community in an area of Hartlepool where there are relatively few rooms for hire.

“We believe that the proposed variation of the current restrictions will increase both the viability and sustainability of the hall.

“We acknowledge there are some concerns around parking and we will do what we can to ensure parking is carried out respectfully, specifically anyone booking the hall will sign to say they will ensure people park respectfully and no drives are blocked.”

However Jean Bolton, speaking on behalf of nearby residents, said they already face large parking problems in the area.

She said: “We’re often blocked on our drives, I’ve had to come home from work on occasion and go down to the hall and ask if cars can be moved.

“I know there’s been lots of complaints about it, the issue we have is parking, the risk to injury, and our mental health and wellbeing.

“This is our home and yes we want the church hall to be used, but even slimming clubs, if anybody is aware of slimming clubs, they can be busy all day.”

‘Rock and a hard place’

Council officers noted they could look at inserting resident permit parking along Tunstall Avenue and nearby roads to help solve traffic issues.

Although this was proposed for the road five years ago and not brought in, residents at the committee meeting indicated they would be in favour of it.

Suggestions were also made talks could be held with the nearby school to help overcome parking problems.

Kieran Bostock, council transport and infrastructure manager, said: “There is no easy answer for this.

“We are quite stuck between a rock and a hard place on this application in that there is not really anything else we can do as an authority.”

The plans were recommended for approval ahead of the meeting, and councillors debated the issues at length and noted they could understand points from both sides.

Coun Brenda Loynes said: “It is a good idea to utilise the hall, I have no objection to that at all, but with what’s being said about the parking, I cut through there and I do notice the parking issues.”

Coun Marjorie James said the roads in the area were not built for the demand they now face.

She said: “It’s unfortunate that most of the streets that we have in Hartlepool were never built for cars, people never thought that people living in a working class area in the north would ever have cars.”

Coun Mike Young, chair of the committee, moved an option to defer making a decision for further conversation.

This was supported by councillors on the committee, with Coun Paddy Brown stating it was the ‘absolute correct thing to do’.