The Church of Scientology is set to face scrutiny by East Grinstead Town Council next week, with the planning committee due to vote on redevelopment plans and an application to review their Premises Licence.
Scientology’s UK headquarters, located at Saint Hill in the quiet Sussex countryside town, has faced mounting pressure from angry local residents after a series of “disruptive” events the press have reported “bring chaos” to the area every year.
In 2024, Mid-Sussex District Council issued the church with a Planning Contravention Notice after it unlawfully erected three mammoth marquees on their property to host the annual gathering of the International Association of Scientologists (IAS). A subsequent application for a Lawful Development Certificate was rejected and the structures were once again erected for last year’s event without planning permission.
Instead of requesting permits for the temporary events venue, which spans more than 80,000 square feet, Scientology submitted an application for a major redevelopment of their Saint Hill compound which included plans to create a giant new car park with spaces for over 900 vehicles. The development sits within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and was shot down by the Town Council in September, with councillors citing environmental concerns.
The Church have since updated their application to include the marquees and the Council is set to debate the proposals once again on Tuesday. However, the amended plans do not appear to have addressed their concerns or justified why such a major development is needed in the area, considering it will only be used for a single three-day event once a year.
An application to review Scientology’s Premises Licence is also on the agenda for next week’s meeting, with the Council’s comments contributing to the final decision – which is due to be made by Mid-Sussex District Council in the coming weeks.
The review, triggered after a complaint was lodged under the Licensing Act 2003, claims the annual IAS gathering “causes considerable disruption to the local community and it is clear the licensing objectives are not being met.” It notes safety concerns and a public nuisance caused by Scientology playing loud bagpipe music continuously on loop across the weekend as reasons to restrict the size of gatherings permitted on the property.
As the lowest tier of local government, East Grinstead Town Council’s vote will not be final on either matter, but their recommendations will carry significant weight in the district council’s determination on how to proceed with both applications.
More to follow.
