SPARKS FLYING OVER RELIGIOUS SECT'S MEMBERS-ONLY PLAN FOR HEALING VILLAGE HALL

                                        

Religious group keen to acquire village hall for food sales

                               

A CONTROVERSIAL plan to change the use of Healing village hall to a "members-only food and sales outlet" is due to be determined at a North East Lincolnshire Council planning meeting on Wednesday.

It is understood the the applicant is a representative of The Brethren Members Food Stores, an organisation which has developed over the past five years.

Goods are brought in wholesale, then sold on at retail prices with the profits being directed to support  Plymouth Christian Brethren Church regional schools. 

The stores are usually run and operated by a local limited company  but trading under a PBCC corporate banner of “Campus & Co” highlighting the link to support schools campuses. 

These clubs are open only to members of the PBCC. 

The Healing outlet  would serve 40 households, all west of Grimsby and Cleethorpes town centres reducing overall trips with the central location at Healing to the vast majority of the congregation.

There have been many objections - for instance, over the potential, so it is claimed,  for increased traffic.

The parish council has a clear  interest in this application as it has sold the village hall to the applicant subject to the change of use being granted, with funds from the sale due to be channelled into construction of a new community facility/village hall at Poplar Park.

A wordy statement from the parish council reads as follows: "This new facility will sit in the parkland, using a run-down existing sports pavilion, owned by NELC, enhancing and extending the existing building to provide a larger, modern community facility for the people of Healing with increased and improved access to the facilities including improved car parking, access to the park area and integration with other village groups such as the Scouts, the Village Out of School holiday clubs which are run by the parish council and the sporting facilities of tennis, bowling and football currently available on the park.

"This project will be of zero cost to residents, with the entire works being funded by the sale of the existing hall. 

"It  will also significantly reduce traffic movement around the Great Coates Road site of the hall, which appears to be the focus of the objections raised. Current operational hours at the Hall are from 9.00 am each day through to 10.00 pm and later.

"The application for the new change of use will significantly reduce vehicle movements.

 "Village hall activities, will continue to run smoothly, transitioning into the enhanced and safer facility at Poplar Park at the appropriate time."

It is understood that Healing School also have an interest in the proposal and may object because governors are also interested in acquiring the hall - though at a lower price than the  Brethren.

The Brethren is a high-principled Christian community whose members are discouraged from watching TV, listening to the radio and accessing the internet at home.