Building Project
Public Exhibition
In March 2010 we hosted our second exhibition of the proposed plans for the chapel. The proposals took into account points that had been raised during previous months of consultation with the church, residents and Aylesbury Vale District Council since our last exhibition in December 2008 which presented our initial ideas.
The present building of Long Crendon Baptist Church was completed in 1853, and has been extended several times since then. Over the last few years we have been giving considerable thought to how better to accommodate our current activities, and to meet the expectations of our present generation and those of future generations.
The building provides a home for the activities of the church and we are keen to ensure that it presents a fresh and relevant face of the work of the church in our community.
The new building wings
Follow the links to some of the questions we have been asked and our response:
- Why are we doing this project?
- What consultation have we done with neighbours during the planning process?
- What is the benefit of this project for the community?
- What impact will the proposed design have on the appearance of the village?
The new entrance
Planning Application
Aylesbury Vale District Council, Planning Department, 66 High Street, AYLESBURY HP20 1SD
email: devcon@aylesburyvaledc.gov.uk
Telephone: 01296 585858 (Mon-Thu 8.45am-5.15pm and Fri 8.45am-4.45pm)
AVDC Website: www.aylesburyvaledc.gov.uk
The application reference is 10/00904/APP, case officer Paul Hems
To show what the proposals might look like, and how the use of the building can be improved, we have attached some composite items that will give an overall view:
Here are 3D views of the layout:
This picture shows how the ground floor is configured at present...
... and here is a view with the proposed new entrance and concourse, allowing access to all areas of the building.
Key documents supporting the application that can be downloaded from this site are:
We want to improve the facilities to bring them up-to-date so that we provide better facilities for our existing activities. The church has a number of current limitations:
• No clear main entrance
• Poor disabled access and access for those not comfortable with steps
• Sub standard space for the existing groups particularly for children and youth activities including toilet provision
• Poor layout and inflexible rooms
• Need of repair (eg leaking roofs) and modernisation (eg heating)
All these issues will be addressed by the proposed design.
The average attendance on a Sunday morning is now about 220 (including those currently using the overflow in the hall) and about 50% of that morning congregation comes from the village.
An increase in floor space for each room would bring room sizes into line with what would be expected for such activities, allow flexibility in restructuring the age divisions for children’s activities including SClub (our Sunday School) and alleviate current overcrowding. We are not anticipating any significant increase in midweek numbers attending existing activities, due to ratios of helpers to children and the desire to provide a good quality experience rather than maximise numbers – in some instances we have waiting lists for activities for this very reason. There are no new planned activities.
Of key importance to how we have managed the growth of our congregation and work is the establishment of a sister congregation in Thame (‘Cornerstone’) which has been established for over two years and which now attracts about 80 regular worshippers, with some of its own mid-week activities already developing. Prior to this we had about 250 regular worshippers at Long Crendon (with some 50 being accommodated in an overflow in the hall).
What consultation have we done with neighbours during the planning process?
The consultation process started in November 2008 when all neighbours were invited to a public exhibition of our outline concepts on 4 and 6 December 2008. We listened, and in response to comments made by our immediate neighbours we changed aspects of the proposed building including reducing a proposed two storey extension towards the Old Police House side of the building to a single storey entrance area.
Subsequently there was dialogue with our neighbours and meetings held between representatives of the church and immediate neighbours on 6 June 2009 as well as with a number of residents of the High Street on 18 June. A further meeting with immediate neighbours was held on 7 July to provide additional information and discuss design matters.
We provided Crendon Crier articles in July/August 2008 and June and July 2009 with a view to keeping people informed.
Last summer we started pre-application discussions with the planning authority in accordance with good practice to ensure we provided the information required for a valid planning application, addressing issues such as design, parking, materials etc. The process was slower than we had hoped and during this period there was no new information of any consequence to make available.
Having received feedback from officers at AVDC which was encouraging and informative we had another public exhibition on 27 March 2010 as announced in the February and March editions of the Crendon Crier, and to which neighbours in the High Street were personally invited. A planning application has now been submitted that includes a Statement of Community Engagement.
What is the benefit of this project for the community?
We do our best to serve the interests of the whole community. though we recognise that not everyone may choose to use our facilities and take part in the activities and services we hold. Our facilities and events are available to all, irrespective of age or physical ability, and many people make use of these on a weekly basis - the mother or carer struggling with the needs of a baby or toddler for whom the opportunity to meet with other mums and carers is a real source of support and encouragement; the elderly people shut in on their own who appreciate the chance to get out and enjoy company, including at the Day Centre; the children and young people who, frustrated by the lack of activities in the village and tempted to vandalism or anti-social behaviour, can find somewhere to meet with their peers and be encouraged to engage with the important issues of life. This all requires a huge commitment in terms of money as well as the time and energy of those who volunteer to help out in Christian service as part of the community of which we are all a part and which LCBC has undertaken for decades.
On another page you can see a summary of our main weekly activities.
Other activities also include:
• Holiday at Home held for 3 days annually for approximately 50 elderly people;
• Holiday Club – Children’s activities over 4 days in the Easter Holidays;
• Annual SClub Party and our Lighten Up party an alternative to Halloween;
• Occasional ‘retreats’ for other church groups which are day long events;
• Occasional children’s parties for those who live in the village, on request when the hall is not in use on Saturdays;
• Weddings, children’s dedication services and funerals.
Other events held as part of our Christian service and for the community but not hosted at the church including the following:
• Marriage preparation classes;
• The Marriage Course;
• Christianity Explored – for those who want to know more about what Christian faith is all about;
• Mid-week groups for Bible study and prayer.
What impact will the proposed design have on the appearance of the village?
We value the architectural heritage of our original chapel building and our Conservation Area setting and to that end have employed a well respected architectural practice in Oxford to develop the design for us to design a building that respects the integrity of the original chapel building, adding a new extension that does not blur the authenticity of the main chapel and which is ‘of its time’.
High Street
Long Crendon
Aylesbury
Buckinghamshire
HP18 9AF