FORMER CHURCH HALL IN ROOKLEY COULD SOON BECOME A HOUSE

A former church hall in Rookley could be demolished to make way for a home. It comes after the thumbs up was given for the transformation of Rookley Methodist Church, on Niton Road, into a 2-bed house also. Tucked behind the church is a hall that was built in 1956 and was used until 2019 in connection with the Methodist Church. The former church site had been on the market since 2022 but little interest had been shown in taking them on as a community facility. Now, Island company Carter Mews has put forward plans to demolish the church hall and build a taller, but slimmer, house. Planning documents said the church hall — which is a single-storey building with a kitchen, lobby and toilets — does not create a pleasing outlook for either the Methodist chapel or the buildings fronting Niton Road. To preserve the history of the hall, a circular feature on its north wall would be reproduced in the new building. An EV charging point could also be installed. You can view the plans, 24/00429/FUL, on the Isle of Wight Council’s planning register. Comments can be submitted until 5th May.