RESIDENTS have urged Jehovah’s Witnesses to withdraw plans to build a place of worship, claiming the scheme is upsetting the community.

The religious group wants to build a Kingdom Hall next to Blackrod Community Centre in Greenbarn Way but the application has angered some locals.

More than 30 residents met with Blackrod Town Council to express their concerns.

They said that they had nothing against Jehovah’s Witnesses, but were concerned that community centre car parking spaces would be lost.

The Kingdom Hall would be built on part of the car park but the Jehovah’s Witnesses’ Horwich congregation, which is behind the application, said the scheme would actually increase the number of parking spaces because the bays would be marked.

Residents’ spokesman John Price said: “Not all the concerns are about planning issues. Some refer to history and heritage, road safety or property value, for example. For years, residents have used the community centre so why can this not carry on?

“The residents are not objecting to the applicant but to the building. If a lunch club wanted it, there would still be as many objections.”

However, Andrew Ash, the trustees’ chairman for the Witnesses, said: “We have established ourselves here for 16 years and would like a purpose built meeting place.

“At present the parking is haphazard but it would be resurfaced and marked out to increase the number of spaces. We have submitted a petition of support. It is not just our members who back this.”

But councillors echoed the parking concerns and voted unanimously to recommend it for refusal. A final decision will be made by Bolton Council’s planning committee.