Chelmsford Borough Council has pledged to help a "nomadic" church find a new home in the town.

Cllr Andy Johnson, chairman of planning told his meeting on Tuesday that the council had "moved heaven and earth" to find a site for Chelmsford City Football Club and could do much the same to help the church.

The Christian Growth Centre - formerly Bethel Baptists - had applied to use the former premises recently vacated by Printing Place on the Widford Park Industrial Estate.

Councillors and officers were all sympathetic to the 300-strong church's needs but most were adamant that they could not allow business premises vacated less than three months ago to be used for the purpose.

Church pastor Rick Murrill explained that the church had outgrown its own premises and was having to meet in a variety of locations.

Council members decided that Widford is a key business location and it had not been satisfactorily shown that a new business could not be found for the site quickly.

They refused the church permission but promised council help in identifying a suitable temporary site somewhere else in the town.

Published Monday August 19, 2002

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