Neighbourhood anger as ‘cult’ moves in

Residents of a Melbourne suburb are up in arms about a religious sect setting up a new centre in their midst.

The Exclusive Brethren, also known as the Plymouth Brethren, is building a Gospel and Bible study hall in the middle of Lysterfield, a quiet suburb in the city's south-east.

There will be group sessions several times a week, including a 6am mass on the weekend.

Pensioners Roger and Denise told A Current Affair they were worried about the amount of people who'd be driving through the suburb at an early hour.

"I think they're very strange," Denise said of the Brethren.

"They are a cult."

Denise said the church would be of "no benefit" to residents.

Roger said he was "very angry" about the development.

Town planner Associate Professor Andrew Butt said the Exclusive Brethren did not need a planning permit.

"Residential areas aren't just for housing," he said.

"They're for small shops, neighbourhood schools, and in this case, a church."

The church is permitted to have 85 people on-site, but they've only built 26 car spaces, which has residents worried.

"We're all nice people here, we're friendly, but when there's traffic there's just going to be chaos leading in and out of our street," local Harry said.

Plymouth Brethren Christian Church spokesman Sam McKechnie said the local church community had met with neighbours living near the site and listened to their concerns.

"We have met with many of them face-to-face in their homes and explained that the site will include off-street parking sufficient to accommodate all worshippers’ vehicles," he said.

“We have also shown them artists’ impressions of the completed hall to demonstrate it is designed to blend in with the surrounding suburban environment."

Mr McKechnie said the church meetings did not generate "a great deal" of noise.

The hall will open in April next year.