Major decision made on quirky plans to turn Methodist chapel into home
“There is inadequate information on the significance of the heritage assets and the effects of the proposal on this and no Heritage Impact Assessment has been provided.”
Quirky plans to convert a former Methodist chapel in Bilsborrow into a private home have been refused by Wyre Borough Council.
The original proposals sought permission to remove an existing side extension and build new single-storey side and rear extensions, so that the chapel could be used as a four-bedroom house
Wyre Borough Council has refused the application after determining that the plans would ‘result in harm to a designated heritage asset that has not been shown to be outweighed by benefits from the proposal.’
The former chapel dates back to the early 19th century, and is a Grade II listed building. It was designed in a peculiar octagonal shape, and features a pebbledash finish with a slate roof. It has been vacant since 2021 when the Methodist Church decommissioned the site.
Steve Smith, Assistant Director of Planning and Building Control at Wyre Council, wrote in his report: “The application has not demonstrated that the proposed works represent the minimum intervention necessary to secure a viable future for the building, nor that the resulting harm to the historic building fabric has been clearly and convincingly justified.
“There is inadequate information on the significance of the heritage assets and the effects of the proposal on this and no Heritage Impact Assessment has been provided.”