DEVELOPERS can start work turning a village high street chapel building into three flats - despite fears that parked cars could block emergency vehicles.

Planning approval to convert the Old Chapel in Newnham-on-Severn’s historic high street was originally given in 2017, but the current owner had to reapply when the original permission lapsed.

In the 1980s and 1990s it was used as a village hall and has most recently been used as a furniture showroom and workshop.

One neighbour told Forest Council planeers: “The parking problem in Newnham-on-Severn needs to be solved before permission is given to more residential homes attracting more vehicles, with no private parking and therefore more cars looking for on-street parking.

“On the service road where the chapel is, parking is very difficult nearly all the time and how an emergency vehicle would gain access is very concerning.

“Indeed our wonderful Biffa collection cannot gain access sometimes along this narrow road. More homes, more cars, more parking problems.”

The Old Chapel, which is situated in the Newnham conservation zone and stands next to a Grade II-listed building, was built in 1864 and operated as an Independent and congregational place of worship until 1964.

It was put up for sale in 2019 by Ferrino and Partners of Lydney with a guide price of £275,000 with the existing planning permission for three “mews-style flats”.

Jan Fryer, who owns a jewellery business in the neighbouring Old School Room, previously took issue with a council survey that said there would be no problem with parking if the chapel was turned into flats.

“Any local person asked would say this is not true. More cars will inevitably make the situation worse,” she said.

“Unless the problem of parking in the slip road is properly addressed, I object to potentially six more cars, not counting visitors to the properties, vying for spaces that are simply not available.

“This could lead to tensions with all neighbours using the slip road.”

Last summer, the developer was refunded by the council after applying to renew the planning permission before the UK Government extended all planning permissions to April 2021.

But with work still yet to start, they had to make a fresh application.

Backing the new application, a council planning report said: “The benefits brought about by the proposal would outweigh the loss of a community facility with an uncertain future and would seek a sustainable re-use of an existing building.”

The plan will see the two-storey building converted into two two-bedroomed flats and one three-bedroomed flat with eight roof lights on each side.