# New Life Church, St James Street, Ashton-under-Lyne

- **Decision:** allowed, 21 August 2026
- **Decided by:** Planning Inspector: J Buxton
- **Authority:** Tameside (North West)
- **Appeal reference:** 6008594
- **Application reference:** 25/00921/FUL
- **Procedure:** written-representations
- **Development:** Two linked modular buildings replacing a garage for church community outreach
- **Site context:** inside-settlement
- **Green Belt:** no
- **Framework applied:** August 2026 NPPF
- **Determinative policies:** Tameside UDP C1
- **Development plan policies:** Tameside UDP C1, Places for Everyone JP-P1
- **Main issues:** character and appearance
- **Tags:** tier-2, community-facility, modular-building, transitional-no-consultation

## Summary
Modular outreach buildings behind a church in Ashton-under-Lyne were allowed. They were subordinate, largely screened and sat lower than the adjacent car park, so there was no harm to character. The new Framework "does not change the planning policy context" (DL ¶2).

## What made the difference
The rear siting and screening by the church mattered. Standardised prefab design was acceptable because local policy "does not require ancillary development to mirror existing buildings" (DL ¶9). The Council's suggestion that the church was an NDHA was unevidenced (DL ¶11).

## Policy findings
- **Tameside UDP C1: accord.** rear siting, screened by church, lower than car park; subordinate (DL 7-12)
- **HE7: not-engaged.** suggested NDHA status unevidenced; no material harm to appreciation of the church (DL 11)
- **HC4: benefit.** community, mobility-access and economic benefits weigh in favour (DL 13)

## Key facts
- Same footprint and foundation as the existing garage
- Standard-colour Portakabin accepted without a colour condition

## Sources
- https://appeal-planning-decision.service.gov.uk/published-document/38080934-a225-4ddc-a9da-5546b48844b8
- https://appeal-planning-decision.service.gov.uk/comment-planning-appeal/appeals/6008594

---

Source: https://planningdistilled.org/research/england/nppf-navigator/decisions/PINS-6008594.html

A summary of a public planning decision, written from the decision letter. Not legal advice. © Planning Distilled. Released under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/): share and adapt freely, with credit to Planning Distilled. Quotations from decision letters, plans and the Framework remain the copyright of their publishers.