St Andrew's Church to be knocked down for homes and community facility

Plans approved by Hertsmere Borough Council will see St Andrew's United Reformed Church in Aycliffe Road, Borehamwood knocked down.

The church has been vacant since December 2018 after the congregation merged with another in Barnet. The sale of the Borehamwood church site will help pay for the construction of a new church in Barnet.

The derelict Aycliffe Road building, which was built in the 1960s, is said to be in “poor condition” and according to Conservative planning committee member Cllr Brett Rosehill, labelled by residents as a “rat infested eyesore”.

Planning agent Richard Gatti said the proposal is to build nine family homes – seven four-bedroom town houses and a further two four-beds, with 21 parking spaces.

These visuals were shared with the planning committee showing what the homes would look like. Credit: Hertsmere Borough Council Webcast

The development also includes the provision of a community facility and this was the source of much discussion when the planning committee debated the application at a meeting on May 19.

Members from across the political chamber were keen to seek assurances the facility would be one that was of most need for the area, such as healthcare.

Councillors were told the council is not responsible for implementing such a facility like a doctor’s surgery.

However, members were keen to ensure an NHS facility is given first priority and agreed with a motion by Labour councillor Jeremy Newmark that there will be a period of three years where the space is exclusively marketed for public health purposes.

If nothing viable comes forward in that time period, the space will be offered up for a year for alternative community use such as a nursery.

St Andrew's Church is situated on a service road in Aycliffe Road at the junction with Buckton Road. Credit: Google Maps

If still nothing is deemed viable and an application is made to turn the specific area earmarked for community use into residential homes, the council has sought to get a legal agreement that those homes will be designated as affordable.

None of the nine homes that will be built will be affordable as there is no requirement to provide any because the development is under ten homes.

Councillors, who unanimously approved the application, also agreed that solar panels should be put on the roofs of the new homes and for trees to be planted to replace any lost trees.