Planners rejected a gym’s plans for a privacy screen and ventilation grilles in a former church building in Hove.

Natural Fit Gym submitted two planning applications for its premises – at St Agnes Church, in Newtown Road, Hove.

But councillors were concerned to learn that one of the applications was retrospective – for work that had already been carried out.

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Brighton and Hove City Council’s Planning Committee turned down both applications at a meeting at Hove Town Hall.

The two applications were for an outdoor area on the second floor. The first was for obscured “privacy screens”.

The second was the retrospective application – to fit high-level ventilation grilles to the gable ends, a handrail to the parapet wall of the roof and outside lights on the second floor on the south side of the building.

Councillors were concerned about people going outside on to the second-floor balcony through a door which was the subject of a previously withdrawn planning application.

Brighton and Hove Independent councillor Mark Earthey asked whether the terrace was “unauthorised”. Officers said that the doorway to the terrace was unauthorised and granting permission would “regularise” the work.

Conservative councillor Carol Theobald said that the application for plastic screens and grilles was unusual, adding: “This is a particularly lovely church. I don’t think there should be such treatment on a church like this.”

Other councillors said that the building had been “deconsecrated” 40 years ago.

Labour councillor Liz Loughran, who chairs the Planning Committee, said: “I feel uncomfortable that this applicant has created this unauthorised doorway and still hasn’t got permission.

“By permitting the screens, we are encouraging those people who use the site to go out on the terrace, in effect. Those two things, to me, are not logical in planning terms.”

Councillor Loughran said that the privacy screen proposal was contrary to council planning policies on design and the activities that would take place on the terrace would “harm the amenity” of the area.

The application for the grilles was also refused. Councillors said that it was linked with the other application because it included the requirement for access through the unauthorised door.