People are key as new church gets green light
 By Keith Morris
Plans for a new 800-seat church near Norwich have finally received official approval, but Graham Dacre, the man behind the scheme, says people are more important than buildings and his tlc church will not be moving there anytime soon.
The finer details of a plan for a church building to cater for 800 people on the former David Rice hospital site in Drayton near Norwich were yesterday (March 9) approved by Broadland District councillors after previous plans for a larger building had been turned down in 2009. The smaller facility already had outline planning permission.
The plans were submitted in 2007 by the Lind Trust, backed by the millionaire Christian businessman, who said: “It’s obviously good news and especially as the Trustees have been trying to secure planning permission for the best part of 15 years. The ‘reserved matters’ application that has now been approved simply facilitates and secures the permission for the smaller facility. We now have two years to start the development.”
 Graham (pictured right) is one of the leaders of the growing Today’s Lifestyle Church (tlc), which currently meets at Drayton Hall.
“Over the coming months we are unlikely to be moving anywhere – and all the more since we are currently enjoying a newly refurbished facility,” he told Network Norfolk.
“That said we are happy to have planning permission under our belt and when the time is right for us to move we will surely know what is right for the future of tlc. If it proves to be we move to the David Rice site at least we will have established a planning permission.
“Until then we are looking to put in place all required to grow the church and to put the needs of people before new buildings,” said Graham.
Drayton Parish Council maintained its objection to the proposed church's design and residents in nearby Taverham and Hellesdon expressed worries over noise, traffic levels, provision of parking and the loss of wildlife.
www.tlc-online.orgPictured right is an earlier visual of the proposed church at the David Rice site.
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