Plans have been put forward to build a place of worship for Jehovah’s Witnesses in Whitfield.

The proposed site, in Willingdon Road, will consist of a Bible study meeting room and 34 car parking spaces, if permission is granted.

A statement from the Dover congregation of Jehovah’s witnesses, said: “The site has been vacant for more than a decade.

“Dover’s development plan is completely silent on the provision or use of places of worship.

“All major towns in the UK have a meeting hall serving Jehovah’s Witnesses and many have more than one.

“Jehovah’s Witnesses have been part of the community in Dover since the 1940s and now have third and fourth generation members who continue to serve the community in a pastoral capacity.” Dover’s Royal Military Road is the current place of worship and has been since 1968.

The statement said: “While adequate in size to accommodate the needs of the congregation members, it lacks sustainability, being of poor constructional quality.

“It lies on a steep hillside position near a sharp drop in level and provides very limited off-road car parking for a handful of cars.” In a supporting document, a letter from Dover Harbour Board said it doesn’t intend to use the land after permission was declined to create another entrance to the Port Zone in Old Whitfield Park.

A decision will be made at a district council planning meeting, but a date has not been confirmed.