General News
26 May, 2025
Plans to convert house into church
Toowoomba Regional Council last week received a development application proposing to convert a house into a church at Hodgson Vale.
The application was submitted by Property Projects Australia on behalf of applicant Toowoomba Gospel Trust.
Toowoomba Gospel Trust is associated with the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church.
The Material Change of Use for a Place of Worship application is for the 3,704m2 property at 5 Freyling Road, next to the Hodgson Vale Spar and Sayllers Brew and is on the corner of Northerly Drive.
The site is currently zoned rural residential.
The registered land owners of the site are identified as Carl Stewart Archer, Andre Kingon, Paul David Thrush, Paul Raymond Reoch and Lester Roy May.
A planning report submitted as part of the application states that the proposed conversion, including a new building entrance and associated awning, will shift the building’s primary orientation from Freyling Road (north) to the proposed car parking area (east).
“The Freyling Road (northern) orientation will still be maintained, to a lesser extent (existing front door to be closed in), in keeping with the prevailing rural residential character of the area,” the planning report says.
The garage of the house will be maintained, however the rest of the interior, such as bedrooms and living rooms, will be converted into a church layout, comprising a lobby, meeting room, store room and male and female toilets.
The planning report also proposes the construction of a 16 space car park and driveway crossover to Freyling Road and construction of a new 1.8 metre high solid screen fence on the southern boundary, bordering a residential property.
“The proposed development is intended to host Service twice a week for a maximum of 50 persons,” the planning report says.
“The anticipated service times are as follows: Monday Evening Service from 7:00pm - 8:00pm; and Sunday Morning Service from 6:00am - 8:00am.”
A traffic statement, onsite effluent disposal report and stormwater management report were also submitted as part of the application.
If approved, the church at Hodgson Vale will not be the first of its kind in the area.
The Plymouth Brethren congregation already has a church on the corner of the New England Highway and Top Camp Court at Top Camp.
In August 2023, Toowoomba Region Councillors voted to reject a development application submitted by the trustees to the West Toowoomba Gospel Trust that proposed to construct a place of worship at 3 Schmidt Court, Top Camp.
Councillors with a vote of 6 - 3 rejected that application on the basis that it was inappropriate land use for the rural residential zone, which is designed for houses on large lots.
The zone code looks for developments that provide a high level of residential amenity and are compatible with the limited infrastructure and services of the area.
Council officers had put forward their recommendation to approve the application, subject to conditions.
A total of 30 submissions, including two petitions, were put forward that rejected the proposal and nine submissions supported it.
Between the two petitions, there were over 100 signatures.
