PLANS to demolish and replace Campbeltown’s Jehovah’s Witnesses Kingdom Hall have been approved.
The application for planning permission at the Smith Drive site has been given the go-ahead after one objection was received by Argyll and Bute Council from the public.
A design and access statement submitted with the application in the winter said that a full refurbishment had been considered, but was not possible.
A council officer said in a handling report: “The existing building to be replaced is a single-storey building, currently used as a place of worship.
“The existing building is formed from timber stud framework with timber cladding, timber doors, single glazed timber windows and a pitched metal pantile roof covering. The building was originally built for and used as an engineering workshop.
“The proposal seeks to replace the existing building as there are limitations in the building’s fabric, space, and structure in that the building has reached the end of its life and required replacement.
“A planning application for replacement of existing timber building was approved on the site on January 24, 2024.
“One of the major differences between the previously approved scheme compared to the current proposal is that the former would involve site formation works to lower the site level to match Smith Drive, while the current proposal would only slightly lower the site level.
“The current application is submitted due to further investigation, which has identified significant issues in the approved scheme, in that lowering the site level would lead to an impact on the historic wall surrounding the site; and the incorporation of a storm water drainage retention system would be overly complex.”
