PLANS for a new church and nursery in Amesbury have sparked concerns over parking, loss of green space, noise and traffic.

The application has been submitted by Living Grace Ministry which currently meets at Bulford village hall and is led by Pastor Natalee Stoner and her husband Deacon Stoner, who serve in the army in Tidworth.

It has purchased the site, which is located near the Bowman Centre.

A mission statement from the ministry said: “Having a permanent home is something the group has strived for many years. The land at Archers Gate offers such an opportunity, not only to build a home that meets all the needs that the ministry aspires to but also offers the community much-needed communal facilities, especially given the dramatic expansion of the Amesbury area. They are looking towards the future and therefore require a facility that enables them to grow and provide suitable accommodation for many years to come.”

The ministry is a gospel Christian group and registered charity who currently meet on Fridays and Sundays.

The statement says it needs a bigger premises due to an “ever increasing membership” and that it has “identified a lack of nursery care in the area, particularly in relation to forces families and feel that this would sit extremely well alongside the ministries Christian fellowship and beliefs”.

The design, access and planning statement said the previous proposal for the building, which was withdrawn, had been “re-designed to provide more of a focal point in the street”.

It adds: “The overall mass and bulk of the building has been much reduced, with the eaves line resembling the similarly low slung public buildings within the vicinity.”

The planning statement said the site is “constrained in size with limited space available for parking” and although some 13 new parking spaces were shown on the plan it was the intention to “rely to some extent on the spare capacity of surrounding parking provided for users of the local centre”.

It also said noise impact would be “negligible”.

A number of letters have been submitted in opposition to the application raising concerns over car parking, noise, impact on traffic and the loss of green space. The need for more nursery facilities was also questioned.

Residents have until August 14 to comment on the plans.

To view the application go to wiltshire.gov.uk and use reference 19/06605.