Church earmarked for housing to stay a storage unit

Waterloo Road Methodist Church will continue to operate as a self-storage facility

A former church which was supposed to be converted into housing will continue to be used as a storage unit.

Blackpool Council planners have agreed to allow Waterloo Road Methodist Church in South Shore to carry on operating as a self-storage facility after dwindling congregations forced its closure several years ago.

Plans for a three-storey block of 12 flats were approved in 2019, but have not been delivered.

Councillors said they hoped a housing scheme would eventually come forward.

Plans 'never happen'

An application for the church to be used as storage for a temporary period of three years has been approved.

But Councillor Fred Jackson said: “One of the things that worries me is how applications that have been passed never happen.

"Housing was part of the plans for this site and something we wanted.

“It concerns me that applications come before the council and then they don’t do it.

"So I’m happy with the condition that this is for three years only and that is important.”