A decision on plans to extend a church have been deferred over concerns about parking and its impact on neighbours.

Church leaders at Welcome Evangelical Church said they need to extend the building because its congregation is growing and it is providing increased services such as free meals and youth clubs.

They want to create "a more serviceable entrance" with "an angled main lobby" at the building which is accessible from both Witney High Street and Witan Way.

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The size of the extension "will increase the size of the building significantly by infilling the underpass" on the south side of the site and removing the car park at the front.

Proposals include new lobby, garden area and relocated access (Image: Freeman Architects/WODC)

The church states the benefits include "improving safety concerns and remove proximity to the main junction and traffic lights". 

The access would be relocated three to four metres further down Witan Way and where the front car park has been removed would be an area of garden.

This would introduce "an area greening to a part of Witney that is heavily developed and to provide and soften the setting of the church", said planning documents.

Due to the loss of six spaces at the front the layout at the rear would be changed to increase the car spaces to 10 and include "a large array" of cycle racks.

Planning documents state: "The church also has a long-standing relationship with Riverside house and the use of their car park on the weekend.

"The site is also within 200m of the Witan Way public car park."

The church is also putting together a transportation strategy to encourage the congregation to use public transport and cycling, it said.

Some 30 owners of properties on Farriers Court which borders directly the Welcome church site objected, saying the new building was overbearing and would overlook their properties.

There were possible maintenance issues with the boundary wall and access down the rear of the church and possibly into their gardens, they said.

Following this feedback the church amended the proposals but neighbours claimed the building was still excessive in scale and too close to the boundary wall.

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Witney Town Council objected over flooding and drainage concerns.

However, the Environment Agency removed its objection subject to a planning condition that a surface water drainage scheme is submitted.

Planning officers recommended the application for approval, subject to conditions.

During a meeting of West Oxfordshire's planning committee Conservative leader Michele Mead said she was concerned about loss of parking in an area which is "a nightmare" to park in.

She also wanted to understand how planning reports assessed possible loss of light for Farriers Court properties "as direct and natural light are very different things".

Councillors voted unanimously to defer a decision and make a site visit.