A CHURCH has won planning permission for an extension.

Hambleton District Council's development control committee has approved a scheme for an extension to All Saints, in East Cowton, near Northallerton.

The Grade II listed building will be extended to create additional accommodation, including a meeting room, kitchen, toilets and cloakroom. There will also be five parking spaces for the disabled.

Earlier plans for an extension, submitted in 2000, were turned down by the committee, which said the design and scale did not match the building and its setting.

The committee was told that the new plans were for a smaller extension reflecting the shape of the church, which would remain the dominant structure, and changes had been made to the design.

A letter of objection said an additional meeting room was unnecessary because East Cowton already had a village hall and there were plans to build a new one.

It was said that parking problems in the village street would be made worse if the church extension was used regularly.