VILLAGERS have criticised plans to turn a church into a “Gospel-based” community for recovering drug addicts and alcoholics.

A religious group, called Friends of a UK Cenacolo Community, has applied to South Lakeland District Council for permission to turn Dodding Green Presbytery and chapel at Meal Bank, near Kendal, into a community where up to 24 young men will live an ascetic life of hard physical work and prayer without television, news-papers or many of the luxuries of modern life.

Skelsmergh Parish Council this week resolved to write to SLDC objecting to the scheme and pointing out there were many questions that remained unanswered about the project.

Objections from local residents included fears about safety, destruction of the community and worries that the centre would in fact be a rehabilitation centre rather than a religious community.

However, some local people have spoken in favour of the scheme providing their concerns about community safety are allayed. SLDC planners are set to debate the application on November 11.