Bromley Council approved plans to knock down the village hall in Church Lane last week.
The hall, which was built in the 1970s as a “temporary” structure after the old building burnt down, was described by planning consultants as being in a “poor state of repair”.
Under plans put forward by St Nicholas Church, which owns the site, the existing one-storey building would be replaced by a new village hall with two flats above.
One of these two flats will be used by the church caretaker.
A detached single-storey nursery would also be built. Currently, a Montessori nursery of 32 children uses the main hall of the existing building during the week.
In total, 11 objections were submitted to the local authority, most of which raised concerns that the new building would be two-storeys tall and block views to the church.
Six people said that they supported the plans, with many noting that the existing building is “not fit-for-purpose”.
Bromley Council planning officers ultimately determined that a two-storey building would not “appear excessive in its scale” or “result in any unacceptable level of harm with regards to outlook”.
They added: “The development in the manner proposed is acceptable in that it would preserve the character of the conservation area, would not result in any unacceptable level of impact by way of its design, impact on highways matters or regarding residential amenity.”
Planning documents claim that the redevelopment will result in a “village hall for all”.
They add: “The development will build a new vision for the church’s service to the local community through the imaginative and creative redevelopment of the existing village hall.”
According to these documents, the nursery will be built first, with construction of the village hall taking place during a second phase of works.
