Plans to transform Holy Trinity Church hall in South Woodford into luxury homes have received a mixed reaction.

The new plans were presented for the first time last night at a church meeting, which offered parishioners the chance to look over designs, before they are submitted to the council for planning permission on Wednesday.

The plans, which include nine residential homes on the site, have been part of a dispute between parishioners, the church, a local Cub and Brownies troop which currently uses the old hall and surrounding residents.

The architect’s plans have been revised to convert the old Trinity Hall, rather than demolish it, as was previously intended.

But Rosemary Gibbard, who has been worshipping at the Old Trinity hall since 1968, said: "It is ungodly. It should be the church-goers who have the last say but nobody has listened to me.

However the Reverend Robert Hampson is hopeful plans will go ahead but he said: "The process has taken an inordinately long time.

He said: "Our input was listened to initially but has diminished as the process has gone on."

For more on this story see next week's Wanstead and Woodford Guardian - out next Thursday.