A former village chapel can now be turned into a house after prior approval was given by Warwick District Council.

Plans to convert the former Chessetts Wood C of E Church in Lapworth were submitted in June with the application saying the scheme will "retain and respect the character of the existing building".

The Chapel Lane building stopped being a place of worship in the 20th century and was converted to a carpenter's workshop in the 1970's.

From 1983 it has been used as an office, with full planning permission to turn it into an office space given in 2008, despite objections from local residents and Lapworth Parish Council.

But with the building having been unoccupied for more than three months, a scheme to turn it into a three-bed house has now been approved by the council.

The planning application submitted did include new glass doors, a mezzanine floor for a third bedroom and a reconfiguration of the internal space.

But a report from WDC planners said while prior approval was given for the change of use to a house, "any external alterations to the building, including the revised fenestration illustrated in the submitted details has not been assessed under the submitted scheme and will require separate planning permission".

The application also says that the development will have little impact on the neighbouring properties nor the green belt.

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The application said: "The proposed conversion to a single dwelling will reduce the number of visits to and from the site.

"Moreover, all traffic will be domestic rather than commercial."

The council report noted that the site benefits from off-street parking and added: "The development is considered acceptable."