MOBBERLEY residents who campaigned tirelessly against plans to build a Christian church in the village have been celebrating after councillors threw the proposals out.

The Plymouth Brethren Christian Church wanted permission from Cheshire East Council to demolish buildings on the former Mobberley Riding School site in Newton Hall Lane, to make way for a 508-capacity meeting venue.

Members of CEC’s northern planning committee overturned the council’s recommendation to approve the plans at a meeting last Wednesday, leaving campaigners relieved at the outcome.

Sarah Irlam, one of several Mobberley residents who attended the meeting at Macclesfield Town Hall, told the Guardian: “We are absolutely delighted, it’s been a lot of hard work and the result was what we wanted.

“We are not adverse to development on the site – we know it’s going to have to be developed on at some stage.

“But it must be something that’s more suitable for the community of Mobberley.”

A total of 182 letters of objection were sent about the development, while Mobberley Parish Council recommended the plans were thrown out on the grounds of increased traffic making the village’s roads unsafe.

Sarah feared that the church’s congregation would continue to grow, putting too much strain on Mobberley’s roads.

“In 2014 the Hale Barns site had 367 members, and now the church has around 500,” she said.

“That number has grown, and the church has outgrown Hale Barns, so why wouldn’t there be more people turning up to the church in Mobberley? We wouldn’t be able to count them.

“If the road is closed on a Sunday for cycling events, or for the 10k, they would have had to go elsewhere.

“If there were more than 140 cars turning up to services, where would they have parked?”

Councillors were also opposed to the church’s ‘exclusive’ status, which would have seen Mobberley residents have no opportunity to use the venue unless they were members of the Brethren.

Sarah hopes that any future development at the former Mobberley Riding School would be more beneficial to the village’s community.

“We are open to suggestions for development on the site,” she added.

“It could be houses – there is a need for more housing, and people who live here would contribute to the local economy with their tax, and through supporting shops in the village.

“We’re not trying to stop planning for anything on the site but it has to be right for the village.”