PLANNING consent has been given to convert a redundant church at Sutton Poyntz into a four-bed home.

The original application resulted in a number of objections, mainly from neighbours, and as a result was amended twice to try and meet the concerns.

Objectors initially complained about being overlooked based on the original proposals with other concerns including the appearance of a decking area. Most of those who wrote to Dorset Council about the application agreed to the principle of the conversion, if not the detail.

Weymouth town council had raised no objection to the proposal although local councillor Tony Ferrari in the first consultation added his voice to the objectors concerns about overlooking.

The application for the former Sutton Road Evangelical Church was submitted by Matthew Williams who wants to convert the chapel into a home and create a new garage on the site.

The building was last used for worship in December 2009 and is first shown on maps dating back to 1937. It is believed that the original church group first met during the 1930s in a house in Seven Acres Road, known as the Gospel Room, and then moved to Preston Gospel Hall in Sutton Road, which was then re-named. The building was originally a timber structure but was later faced in stone.

Plans for the building’s conversion include moving the entrance, adding a pitched roof garage on the side of the building and changing the interior to create four bedrooms.

Some windows have been removed from the original plan as a result of neighbour’s comments. The applicants have also said they will retain a walnut tree which some letters expressed concerns about.