Shoreline Church submits plans to Sefton Council to ‘re-awaken’ the Grade II-listed Victorian St George’s Church in Southport and create a new space for the wider community. Andrew Brown reports
Plans have been unveiled to re-energise an historic Victorian church in Southport, creating a series of new community events and making it “a church to serve all”.
They include “a vision to re-awaken St George’s Church, to meet the spiritual needs of its members in Southport and to engage new people from the community”.
A planning application has been submitted to Sefton Council to make changes at St George’s United Reformed Church, which is located next to Sainsbury’s supermarket on Lord Street in Southport town centre.
These changes would see the removal of the grand organ and church pews to make an ‘open plan church space’, the creation of a new book stall and baby room, and the addition of a series of events aimed at people of all ages.
Shoreline Church is seeking Listed Building Consent for internal and external alterations to the Grade II-listed building, which stands within the Lord Street Conservation Area.
They said: “To create flexible space for events, the removal of the pews and organ will facilitate an active church hall, to be used daily, not just on Sundays.”
The former Presbyterian church which opened in 1873 with a tower and a spire which are very distinctive Lord Street landmarks. A church hall was added in the 1930s.
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The plans, drawn up by Andrew Cunningham Building Design on behalf of Shoreline Church, aim to modernise the existing Church.
They include the addition of removable partition walls, to create a bookstall and baby room at either end, the removal of pews, levelling of floor, removal of grand organ, addition of suspended heaters.
In the rear hall they want to add partition walls to subdivide the minor hall into classrooms and add suspended heaters. The introduction of a demountable suspended ceiling across the main activity space would mitigate heat loss.
The planning submission says: “The applicant, a local Christian church, is taking over the former United Reform Church, so the use of the church remains as is.
“The local church has a vision to re-awaken St. George’s Church, to meet the spiritual needs of its members in Southport and to engage new people from the community that may wish to join the church and take advantage of the proposed community events. It will be a church to serve all.”
It added: “This planning application, if approved, will allow the church building to be revitalised and used in new ways, fit for its purpose – serving the Southport community.”