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LONDON: A church is forging ahead intent on building multigenerational housing on a prime site.

A plan for a $25m apartment development on a church site in leafy Canterbury has upset some locals who claim it’s too chunky for the area.

Canterbury Baptist Church wants to demolish two tennis courts and some other buildings on the site to construct 47 units and more than 80 basement parking spaces.

It would feature one, two and three-bedroom apartments across three storeys, and a number of new church buildings, while the church itself would remain.

The site is on the corner of busy intersection Canterbury and Balwyn roads, opposite Canterbury Gardens, and has been used for worshipping since 1891.

Local residents opposed to the plan claim the developer and church have conducted themselves in a “very clandestine manner”, with “zero” community consultation.

“There are three residents that abut the planned complex development, however it will have a significantly detrimental effect on many local streets and residents in the tiny hamlet of Canterbury,” said a residents’ group website.

It’s believed that several objections have been lodged with Boroondara Council, which is now considering the case.

In summary, the objections say the proposal is an inappropriate overdevelopment of the site, “it is extremely high-density and does not consider the character of the local neighbourhood”.

Vehicle access to the apartments will be via adjacent Boronia St, with residents there saying it will add to congestion and parking issues for the street.

It’s also claimed that the development – comprising “bulky and box-like” buildings – will not fit with the precinct’s heritage styles.

Some residents also worry that construction will take much longer than the anticipated 15 months, causing disruption to local streets from tradespeople driving through and parking.

Canterbury resident and former convener of activist group Planning Backlash, Mary Drost, said it would be disgraceful to “ruin a lovely area like that with massive overdevelopment”.

“They don’t care if they ruin the area, as long as they make a lot of money,” she said.

A spokeswoman for the Canterbury Baptist Church said the church would not comment at this time.