Controversial plans to extend a Grade I-listed church have been put on hold.

Church wardens at All Saints in Odiham have withdrawn an application to extend the building.

Two previous bids to extend the church were refused by Hart District Council in May and December last year.

The long-running application for planning permission was due to be discussed at the latest Hart District Council planning committee meeting, with officers finally recommending that councillors give it the go-ahead.

However, it has been withdrawn as the church concentrates on welcoming its new vicar. The Rev Gary Keith, a naval chaplain, has just been appointed and will start on September 14.

Churchwarden Lewis Scard said: “In talking about this with the Bishop of Basingstoke we felt it was unreasonable that the new priest should start immediately following a decision by the planning committee at Hart in which he would have had no input whatsoever.

“We agreed to withdraw the application until our new priest arrives and has time to look at it, reflect upon it and most likely submit it again.”

The proposed extension would provide a song room, meeting rooms and toilets.

Church wardens say it will make the building fit for the 21st century and provide much-needed facilities for the community.

Unholy row

However, the plan has caused an unholy row, with objections from Odiham Parish Council, residents and a national historic buildings society.

The parish council has objected on the grounds of the appearance of the proposed external rendering for the extension.

Village leaders are worried because no extra parking has been planned.

The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (SPAB) is also concerned.

It points out that the church is the only Grade I listed building in Odiham and is at the heart of the conservation area.

In its official objection letter, SPAB states: “While the society agrees that there is justification for some development we remain unconvinced by the scale of the proposals.

“We note particularly that the upper floor of the extension is intended to provide accommodation for two seminar rooms.

“In our view, the parish has not sufficiently justified both the proposed redevelopment of the interior spaces at the west end and the creation of a two-storey extension of the size proposed.”

The society said that although the west window has been reduced, it still remains imposing in size and scale.

It maintains strong opposition to the removal of the raking floor of the galleries, which is an important historic feature of the building.

Potential

A design and access statement said the church, the largest public building within a six-mile radius, has the potential to hold events not only for the Odiham community and the surrounding 11 parishes, but also for the wider church in north Hampshire.

Concerts, exhibitions, film nights, displays, coffee mornings and snack lunches could be catered for in the new-look church.

To improve flexibility, the church wants to replace the pews with chairs.

It needs a kitchen to serve everybody from Lent lunch providers to concert-goers, and wants the parish office, currently 400 yards away from the church in rented premises, to become part of the building.

The large mixed choir, which currently robes up in a corridor behind the organ, badly needs a choir vestry for changing, storing music and practice sessions.

The church requires toilets for use by regular worshippers and visitors, a suitable space for a creche, a meeting room, a properly designed storage area and an area for the flower teams to prepare their displays.

Mr Scard was confident the church would push ahead with the extension once 38-year-old Rev Keith, who is married with four young children, settles into his new role.

He added: “I think everybody believes that will be the intention. We just felt that as he would be the sponsor of this project then we need him to be leading it.”