A Liverpool city region church that was built in 1865 is to be converted into apartments in a £3m project. Tony McDonough reports

A Victorian church in Merseyside is to be converted into 10 apartments in a £3m development.

St John’s Church in Waterloo was built in 1865. It was a focal point for the community for 140 years. In 2006 the church and its congregation relocated to new premises in nearby Picton Road.

Liverpool developer EW Developments has now started work on the residential conversion. The firm has just finished converting another church, Our Lady of Good Help in Wavertree, into 10 apartments.

And in 2019 it also completed the renovation of an abandoned Victorian building in Kirkdale in north Liverpool and created the Phoenix Hotel.

On the Waterloo project, EW says it will be sympathetic to original details such as the church organ. This will be fully repaired during the development process. Other key features will include stained glass windows and original clover windows.

EW Developments is co-owned by James Winters, founder of engineering firm M-Tech, and Rob Edwards, architect and founder of R+R Design.

James said: “We are proud to once again showcase the adaptable skill-set of EW Developments with another church conversion which remains sympathetic to original features.

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“This is a major undertaking, not least with a church organ to repair, but we are so excited to breathe new life into a historic and iconic local building, and in turn, breathe new life into the community with new luxury housing.

“We understand this is a special building to a lot of people, filled with many memories. I am delighted our work will allow fresh memories to be made in a modern, sophisticated space.”