The Exclusive Brethren want to shift their church from Dunedin to a site in Mosgiel that used to be a poultry farm.
An application has been lodged by the Glenelg Gospel Trust with the Dunedin City Council to develop 5ha of land at 326 Factory Rd.
Less than half of the area would be used for a church, manse, and car park. The trust wants permission to subdivide the site, and develop the slightly bigger section as a ''small rural site'' with a new house.
Until the middle of last year, the Brougham Park Poultry Farm had operated at the site for more than 40 years.
Zoned rural, the site is near the Invermay Agricultural Research Centre. The new facility would replace the church in Glenelg St, Kaikorai Valley.
''This [Mosgiel] site is considered more suitable to the needs of the congregation as the church's membership grows.
''The church's fundamental philosophy is based upon the individual family unit and the wider family community.
''This means the congregation naturally grows as families grow.''
The Mosgiel site was ideal for regional events, which are attended by members from Timaru to Invercargill. The ''special capacity'' events, which attract up to 1300 people, were not held often. The interval between such events ranged from six months to two years.
''The site is also large enough to accommodate what is a large church campus.
''There are few, if any, similar sites located within the urban area of Dunedin.''
Services were held each day, attended by up to 250 people. The design of the church would be similar to other Brethren churches, and it would cover about 1303sq m. Its maximum height was just over 7.3m.
The manse would occupy up to 300sq m.
The development would have minimal effect on neighbours, the application says.
''This site is falling into disrepair and it is unlikely any permitted rural use will be found for it.
''The proposed use will have a similar built density to the poultry farm without the adverse effects that have caused concern to neighbours over the years.''
The consent is open for public submissions, which close on September 11.
