A SCHEME to pull down a North Yorkshire church and replace it with housing should be turned down, according to planning chiefs.

Owners of the Roman Catholic Church of St Columba, in Thorpe Road, Masham, near Ripon, have tabled an outline planning application to demolish the building and put up two detached houses.

But the plan has run into opposition and Harrogate Borough Council planning officer Andy Hough has recommended that the scheme is refused.

Councillors meet in Ripon to discuss the application, by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Middlesbrough, next Tuesday.

In his report Mr Hough said the plan would result in loss of a community facility and the house sizes failed to provide smaller and low cost units to meet local needs.

The church, built of timber with a corrugated sheet roof, is empty and has not been used for worship since August last year.

Masham Parish Council has not raised any objections. But residents have highlighted six areas of concern.

One objector said the church should not be disposed of because it would never be reinstated in Masham and another said building two four bedroomed detached houses was too intensive and would result in overcrowding.

There were also fears about road safety, loss of privacy and the houses not being in keeping with homes along Thorpe Road

The diocese told planners that existing churches in Bedale and Leyburn have been "satisfactorily serving the community since the closure of St Columba.