£3.6m plans to swap pews for pods (From The Bolton News)

£3.6m plans to swap pews for pods

12:10pm Saturday 11th April 2009

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THESE are the first pictures of stunning £3.6 million plans to build a three-storey community centre inside a disused church.

The Churches Conservation Trust has been working with the community for five years to develop the radical plans for All Souls’ Church, in Astley Street, Halliwell.

The result is a three-storey community centre, made up of a series of glass pods sitting within the church building, which dates from the late 19th century and has been empty for 23 years.

Plans for the centre, which will house meeting spaces, consultation rooms, conferences spaces, library, exhibition space, classrooms and a gym, have been submitted to Bolton Council.

Peter Aiers, the Churches Conservation Trust major project manager, said: “This innovative design has enabled us to create a project which will ensure that All Souls has a role in the community well into the future.”

The project is being funded by a Heritage Lottery Fund grant and the Churches Conservation Trust is also asking for consent to remove the pews from the Grade II-listed church.

Brian Tetlow, Bolton Historical Society chairman, said: “I am not sure how the planning department or the committee will view the plans, but we will reserve judgement until we have seen the full proposal.”

Last month, a public display of the plans attracted more than 200 visitors and the Churches Conservation Trust said the response was mostly positive.

If approved by Bolton Council’s planning chiefs, construction on the centre is expected to start early next year with the centre due to open in summer 2011.

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