A COMMUNITY group is urging people across Penarth to speak up about controversial plans for St Paul’s Church after concerns the community facility element has been squeezed to a minimum.

St Paul’s Community Group, which is made up of local residents, says that it feels the residential aspect has taken priority over the much need community space which it says is not large enough for the needs of the area.

They will be holding a public meeting on Wednesday, October 25 at Penarth Ex-Servicemen’s Club from 7.30pm for people to have their say.

Local elected members will be invited to attend, along with representatives from the Vale council and the developer Newydd Housing Association.

St Paul's has been left empty since 2011 when Penarth Gymnastics Club and Penarth Boxing Club were forced to leave on safety grounds.

A community interest group attempted to bring a multi-purpose shared fitness space to the building in 2015 but the project board rejected the plans because of the business case was not viable.

Since then the council has made it a "key challenge" and recently agreed a deal with Newydd Housing Association to provide a mixed use residential and community facility on the site.

The group say that draft plans currently circulated show the development in Arcot Street will be dominated by residential flats, while space for a long-promised community facility is squeezed to a minimum.

A consultation event was held at the Paget Rooms by the developers recently for residents to view the plans.

Tim Land from the community group said: "Local people are increasingly concerned about the design of the building and the minimisation of the community space.

"Previous consultation in 2013 highlighted that local people want the building retained for community use and there has been no further consultation since, which is very disappointing.

"Now locals have been left to voice their concerns to a private construction company, in what seems like a decision by the council that ignored the community".

Kate Davies who lives near St Paul's said: "There are all sorts of reasons that people are worried,

"We have long been promised a space that can genuinely engage the community, as part of the Penarth Heights regeneration.

"But under these plans, the community centre isn’t the right shape or size to support meaningful and long term projects.

"This isn’t just a decision for now, but for future generations to come.

"It just feels like the area’s being short-changed."

The group says residents are also concerned that the plans, which retain only the facade of the current architecture, don’t go far enough to respect the heritage of the building.

They've also raised concerns that the current design concentrates dwellings in the back of a lane notorious for fly-tipping, which could jeopardise safety and wellbeing for future residents.

For more information on the group, search for St Paul’s Community Group on Facebook