PEOPLE living in Flushing are fighting an attempt by the Methodist Church to overturn a decision refusing it permission to turn the village chapel into flats.

A planning application from the Methodist Church to convert the Methodist Chapel on Kersey Road into three dwellings was refused last year.

Tom Rowse (for the Methodist Property Committee) has appealed the planning decision. The appeal will now go to the Planning Inspectorate.

But opponents to the redevelopment of the church have vowed to fight the appeal and have set up a Go Fund Me page to finance employing 'a professional' to help prepare their opposition. So far the appeal has raised over £600 in a couple of days.

Campaign organiser Vincent Roberts told the Packet: "Parking in Flushing is short and the proposal has no parking included and aims to create three apartments on-site without any outside space so will probably be more holiday rentals.

"That is in a village where a large percentage of the houses seem to be second homes already.

"We are not against the development but the Methodists have made no effort to consult with us and we are now faced with a deadline of a month to find help and support to fight this appeal.

"More and more Cornish villages are being turned into ghost towns and we fear at this rate we will be the next St Mawes - and not in a good way."

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The campaigners, who currently consist of Lucinda and Vincent Roberts and who own the access road at the side of the building, want to use the money raised to employ professional help to assist them in making their views and arguments known to the planning inspectorate.

They say that they have a lot of support in the village for their opposition and that, depending on the cost and how much they raise, any surplus will be donated back to the village.

They have until June 30 to make their submissions to the inspectorate before the appeal is heard up country.

The Flushing and Gwennap Methodist circuit was also contacted for a comment but had not replied as the Packet went to press.

You can find the JustGiving page here.