Plans to demolish a Welwyn Garden City church and build nine new homes plus a community hall have sparked parking concerns.

Developer Rockwell Homes has submitted a planning application to Welwyn Hatfield Council to knock down the All Saints Church building in Hall Grove and also a dwelling, 7C Cole Green Lane.

Following the demolition, nine houses and a single storey community hall would be built.

There would be six three-bedroom homes, two four-bedroom homes and one two-bedroom home.

In September 2016, members of the borough council’s cabinet committee agreed that the council would pay £3,225,000 for eight of the new homes.

In a design and access statement on behalf of Rockwell Homes, it is stated: “The project is driven by the church to reprovide a community facility appropriate to their needs going forward and also a house for the church.

“Delivery of this new provision is being supported financially by cross subsidy from the proposed private sale dwellings.”

The plans include 19 parking spaces, plus two garages, and four spaces for the church and ancillary uses.

However, Vikki Hatfield, of the borough council’s parking services, has lodged an objection.

She states: “The council have already received complaints about parking in this area without this development.

“There are issues with the doctor’s surgery and patients unable to locate parking close by, so use garage forecourts.

“Also vehicles were parking on the verges, which has resulted in the council erecting bollards to prevent further damage to the verges.”

Vikki continues: “There is a shopping parade almost opposite the development and businesses already complain of residents using the parking spaces for their customers when space runs out on Hall Grove.

“Although some parking has been included for all the properties, I feel this will not be enough.”

Vikki was also concerned that there would not be adequate parking for people using the community hall either.

In the design and access statement, it is highlighted that the site is an opportunity to “increase in the supply of quality housing within WGC”.

Back in September 2016, the council stated it had been “in negotiation for some time on this scheme which was already identified as a pipeline scheme within the Affordable Housing Programme delivery plan and allowed for in the approved capital budget”.

The proposal is being treated as a major planning application and can be view on the council’s website under the reference 6/2017/2760/MAJ.