Baptists ‘disappointed’ as board rejects facility plan

THE Baptist community has expressed its shock at a decision from An Bord Pleanála to refuse plans for a €9 million residential, religious and training centre in Co Cork.

William Colville, company secretary to the Southern Baptist Corporation, said yesterday he was “very disappointed and taken aback” by the decision to overturn planning approved by Cork County Council last September for the centre in Castlemartyr.

The Baptists had proposed to build a 1,640 sq metre single-storey residential centre and a 1,048 single-storey sports hall, plus sports pitches, surfaced courts and car parks at Caherultan, Castlemartyr.

Cork County Council granted permission on September 28, but subject to a number of conditions.

An appeal was then lodged, primarily based on the grounds that increased traffic generated by the project would lead to safety problems on the narrow roads adjoining the site.

To address these issues Southern Baptist Corporation proposed to construct lay-bys to allow traffic to pass in a safer fashion.

However, Bord Pleanála overturned the county council’s permission saying that “not withstanding the lay-by proposals the construction would endanger public safety by reason of a serious traffic hazard”.

Its board added that this would be contrary to proper planning and sustainable development of the area.

Mr Colville said that his organisation would be studying the full Bord Pleanála report with the help of its technical experts and legal advisers.

“I have to admit at this stage that the project seems very badly dented. We had done a lot of work on it and got good support in general from the local community,” Mr Colville said.

He said the facility would have been very important for Baptists.

“It was to be a significant development for us in the South-West of Ireland as our churches in the area have been growing in recent years. It would also have been very important for the youth,” Mr Colville added.