MEGA CHURCH INQUIRY

The public inquiry into controversial plans to construct what would be the biggest church in the country opens in Rainham next week.  Robert Mellor, the Government appointed planning inspector, will start proceedings at 10am on Tuesday morning on the appeal by the Kingsway International Christian Centre (KICC) to overturn a decision to refuse planning permission for an 8,000 seat church and auditorium at the Beam Reach 5 Industrial Park in Rainham. 

Last year the London Thames Gateway Development Corporation (LTGDC) supported by the London Borough of Havering rejected KICC’s planning application after receiving 20,000 letters of representation.  The inquiry to be held at the Centre of Engineering and Manufacturing Excellence (CEME) Marsh Way, Rainham, RM13 8EU is expected to last for three weeks.  KICC’s proposals were prompted by being forced to leave their original base near Stratford to make way for the development of the 2012 Olympics.

Hornchurch and Rainham MP James Brokenshire will be giving evidence to the inquiry in support of the LTGDC’s decision to refuse permission for the plan.  Commenting James said:

“Whilst I have a great deal of sympathy for KICC in being forced off the Olympic site, the simple fact is that this is the wrong plan in the wrong place.  Beam Reach has been reserved to create jobs for the local area.  It is intended to help support the regeneration of the local economy.  KICC’s proposal simply won’t help to achieve this vision and risks causing traffic chaos to the local community“.

Back to all posts