A PLANNING application for the relocation of the Baptist Church in Chiddingfold has failed to meet the approval of Waverley Borough Council. The proposal to move the Baptist centre from its current location in Woodside Road to the rural location of Bethwins Farm in Petworth Road, has been dismissed. Planning officers objected to the proposal on the grounds that it conflicted with local planning policies and that it would have an impact on the protected landscape. As the site lies within the Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, an Area of Great Landscape Value and the Green Belt exceptional planning circumstances had to be proved. The application fell short of demonstrating such an exceptional need. The council also felt that the centre would be too remote from the village and would lead to an increase in traffic and congestion. The design of the proposed new centre was also described as "poor". This refusal comes despite the application receiving much support from local residents of the parish, with 23 letters of support being sent to the borough council. Much of the support said that the existing site was becoming too cramped for the growing congregation. It was felt that relocation to the disused farm, formerly used as a depot, would eliminate this inconvenience. The village church has spent the last five years looking for a suitable site for relocation. The demand for its services has meant that some meetings have been held at St Mary's School and the village hall. The decision for refusal was noted on the agenda for the borough council's southern area development control sub-committee meeting, which was held on Wednesday. Chiddingfold's Baptist minister Rev Tim Langdon told The Herald this week that he was "disappointed" by the decision. "We are a little frustrated but most people aren't too downhearted," said Mr Langdon, who is hoping to meet the church planning consultants in the near future to discuss the options open to them. "We will probably end up by reapplying. We always knew it was going to be a bit of a battle," said Mr Langdon.