PLANS have been revived to create a wedding haven in Iona despite neighbours’ protests that it will clash with their rural lifestyle.

Iona’s 99-year-old former Presbyterian church is again at the centre of a bid to operate it as a wedding chapel.

Matthew Eno has sought a permit from Cardinia Shire Council less than a year after his previous application was rejected.

Council said the plan for a one-stop venue complete with ceremonial gardens and an 80-seat centre for dinner and dancing was out of character with the surrounding area.

Mr Eno told the Gazette this week he had revised his plans, and was no longer seeking permission for a reception venue at the Little Road property he owns with his wife Alison.

“This application is for the chapel only. Our aim is to restore the old church back to its former condition and operate it as a wedding chapel, where couples can experience a unique rural setting for their wedding,” he said.

Mr Eno said the revised plans represented a huge compromise.

But neighbours have again lodged objections, raising concerns about the impact of the proposal on the rural area.

Landholders said having up to 80 guests attend weddings at the chapel would increase traffic and dust along Little Road and could also prompt complaints about nearby farming activities.

Objectors say the proposal could prompt conflict in a traditional rural area with guests possibly unhappy about flies, cattle noise or crop dusting.

Mr Eno said he believed the chapel could sit harmoniously side-by-side with farms. He did not believe guests would complain about the cows.

“Couples who would book their wedding at our chapel would specifically want a unique rural experience for their wedding,” he said.

Cardinia councillors who voted against the proposal last year said they had a duty to protect one of the shire’s finest rural areas.

A decision on the new application is expected to be made at council’s town planning meeting next Monday.