VILLAGERS in Cotford St Luke could soon be raising a glass to toast the arrival of their very first purpose-built facilities - a pub, shop, function room and restaurant.

Members of Taunton Deane Council's planning committee gave the go-ahead for the village's only listed building, the former chapel, to be converted into a range of community facilities when they met on Wednesday.

The application was welcomed by the village's community association, although a number of residents had objected to the plans.

While the association believed the conversion plan made the most of what was rapidly becoming "a decaying eyesore", some residents raised a number of concerns.

These ranged from increased noise levels, inadequate parking, additional traffic and smells from the restaurant to the moral issue of using a place of worship as a public house.

But the association maintained the majority of villagers wanted a public house and shop in the heart of Cotford St Luke and the association itself had always advocated that the chapel be used for community purposes.

The chapel had originally been earmarked for use as a community centre, but that facility would now be provided in the soon-to-be-built primary school in the village.

Subsequently, planning permission was given for the chapel to be converted into two, four-bedroom homes.

In a report to the planning committee, borough planning officer John Hamer said the master plan for the purpose-built village had always included proposals for a centrally located pub.

He said he believed the proposal was acceptable as it would help to preserve the building and provide much-needed facilities.

He said: "The chapel is located adjacent to the area set aside for the village centre and I consider the principle of a public house, restaurant and shop to be acceptable in this location.

"Furthermore, I consider that the provision of a public house use in the former chapel building is something to be encouraged as it will secure the future of the building, be potentially less invasive on the character and appearance of the building than residential use and allow the interior of the only listed building in Cotford to be enjoyed by local residents."

He said it would be unrealistic to expect the chapel to be used as a church again and said conditions should be attached to the planning approval to ensure residents were not disturbed by noise or smells from the premises.