Councillor vote against proposal for Grace Church building in Larbert

That decision will, however, only be used to advise the Scottish Government’s reporter of the council’s position as the application is now out of the council’s hands.

During an online meeting of Falkirk Council’s planning committee, six members of the public spoke against the plans, while an agent representing the church spoke in favour of the £2 million development.

Those against said their main concern was that a building with a capacity to hold 300 people would bring extra traffic to the residential area – and danger to the neighbourhood’s children in particular.

Kinnaird resident Kirsteen Glen told members that the area earmarked for the new church already had too much traffic on it.

She described how she had been involved in a near-miss while trying to cross McCartney Road with her then three-year-old child.

“It’s a picture in my head that I often revisit,” she said. “Rebuilding the confidence of a three-year-old to assure her she’s safe around her home – originally billed as a child-friendly area – has taken some time.”

She urged councillors to look at better road designs that would improve safety and health and wellbeing.

Residents also said that the development would mean a loss of some parking spaces to the church.

One woman spoke of her frustration and anger as parents at Kinnaird Primary constantly used residents’ spaces when dropping children off – something she feared would only get worse if the church opened. 

Campaigner Gary Wilson told councillors that rejecting the application would allow the community’s newly formed residents’ association to put forward some ideas of their own.

“The importance of that land to our community should not be under-estimated or downplayed,” he said.

“It is critical to our future for decades to come.”

He also argued that the council’s own Road Development Unit had highlighted significant concerns and said the planning department’s analysis of the problems had been superficial.

“For a whole host of reasons, this development is not right for Kinnaird,” he said.

Many of the speakers said that most of the church’s congregation were not local to the area.

However, David Jennings, representing the church, said that was not correct and 60 per cent of the church’s congregation live within a 20-minute walk of the new site.

He argued that people could easily walk, cycle or take public transport to the building which the church says will transform “an ugly, derelict site” into a venue that could be used by the community.

The church sanctuary would be able to hold 300 people although at the moment the congregation is around half of that.

“Nowhere have the Roads Development Unit indicated that the parking standards have not been met,”  said Mr Jennings

“And nowhere have they actually explicitly said that they object to the application.

“The officers’ report concludes that the parking standards have been met and exceeded, a position my client fully agrees with.”

After listening to the deputations, Councillor Gary Bouse said he felt the height of the building would overshadow neighbouring properties in Crown Crescent. 

He also felt that parking would become a problem and roads busier so he proposed that the council should not be minded to grant. 

His fellow councillors for Carse, Kinnaird and Tryst, Joan Coombes and Laura Murtagh agreed.

The local members were backed by all members of the planning committee who agreed to support Councillor Bouse’ motion.

Their observations will be passed on the Reporter who will make the final decision.