Macedon Ranges Council to Vote on Plymouth Brethren’s Fifth Kyneton Church Proposal

The Plymouth Brethren Christian Church, represented by the Kyneton Gospel Trust, has applied to construct a fifth place of worship in Kyneton to accommodate 45 congregants, especially those who have moved to the Tilwinda Estate. Macedon Ranges Shire Council’s planning officers have issued a recommendation to refuse the application, arguing it does not adequately preserve the low-density residential character of the area.

The church, which has been present in Kyneton for more than 130 years and employs over 200 local staff, highlighted 23 letters of support and the absence of formal objections, emphasizing a design that would blend into the streetscape and limit use to under an hour per one outlet. Planning director Rebecca Stockfield noted positive comments on the site’s scale and integration but upheld the recommendation. The council will vote on the matter at tonight’s meeting, echoing a 2020 rejection of a larger Brethren project in nearby Castlemaine.