Faith banished to the periphery

CongregationS should work more closely with local planners to avoid churches being banished to industrial estates and retail parks, according to a report published this week, writes Paul Wilkinson.

It recommends that councils make greater use of planning rules so that developers include places of worship in their schemes and prioritise protecting space for social infrastructure, including places of worship.

The research commissioned for the Faith and Place Network of planners, developers, church leaders and academics also says planning applications should be reviewed to see if refusals are above-average for faith groups.

Andrew Rogers from the University of Roehampton’s Department of Humanities, who co-wrote the report, said: “Ultimately both sides need a greater understanding of each other if the growing religious communities in our cities are to thrive and be able to worship with dignity. We have evidence of churches and other faith groups resorting to industrial estates and retail parks to establish a place of worship. Clearly this isn’t ideal for them, and it rarely accords with the wishes of councillors who want to encourage business growth.”

The report was welcomed by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, who said it highlighted “the challenges faced by a diverse and growing number of faith communities seeking places for worship. These challenges are particularly acute for migrant faith communities, for whom worshipping in their own tradition both supports community life and affirms identity. We must heed the biblical imperative for us to welcome the stranger and to treat them like ourselves.”