A COMMUNITY has been divided by plans to transform a Georgian Sunday school and chapel into a village hall.

Slaidburn Property Trust was told councillors wouldn't let them demolish the buildings as part of the project.

Supporters of the scheme - who wrote 206 letters to Ribble Valley Council - today accused councillors of attempting to 'put a glass dome over Slaidburn and stopping it from breathing'.

The new building, in Chapel Street, would have been bigger than the buildings it replaced and would have featured large glass walls.

Councillors rejected the application because they said they would be out of keeping for the area.

A petition with 41 signatures, and 43 letters of objection, were received prior to the meeting.

The two-storey building would have included a main hall with 120 seats, a stage, a lounge/meeting room, kitchen, bar, playgroup, accessible toilet, a gallery, youth room and office.

Trustee Harvey Robinson said: "This is a project the village desperately needs. We are a living, breathing community which the council can't put a glass dome over. Our existing village hall is not suitable and does not comply with new disability legislation."

Coun Howard Douglas said the hall looked as if it had been created 'to be more a monument to those responsible for it than a building for the community'.

The Methodist Chapel has been redundant since 1999, and historical campaigners The Georgian Group opposed the plan as only one facade of the building would be retained.