PLANS for a £3million church in Cirencester, which include a cafe have been recommended for approval by Cirencester Town Council on the condition that improvements are made to parking.

At the town council’s planning meeting earlier this month, the plans submitted by Cirencester Baptists for the church on the site of a former social club in Chesterton Lane, were recommended on the condition that more provisions are made for parking spaces.

Joe Harris, the ward councillor for St Michaels, said at the meeting: “ You are going to get an awful lot of traffic parking in the pavement. It is going to be gridlock. That is my only concern. I don’t object to the scheme but I would like to see them make provisions for parking nearby. The benefit is great because you are going to have a community centre there.”

The plans are now being passed to Cotswold District Council for approval.

If plans are approved, construction of the church should take around a year, which means the congregation could be using the space by September 2016.

Cirencester Baptist wish to build the church because its congregation is to large to fit in their church in Coxwell Street and they have had to worship in Deer Park School.

Most of the funds have come from the Cirencester Baptist, with few donation coming from outside grants.