Plans for former pub to become a church

The ground floor of the old Gateshead Railway Club could become a place of worship

A former town centre pub could become a place of worship under plans submitted by a church.

Gateshead Council has received an application to change the use of the ground floor space in the former Gateshead Railway Club on Wellington Street.

The application, from the Kings Church Gateshead, says that the ground floor has been "empty for some time". The floors above include a number of residential flats on the first and second floors, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The application has not requested any changes to the fabric of the building but proposes using it for church activities.

Proposed opening hours are 09:00 to 17:00 from Monday to Saturday and 09:00 to 21:00 on Sundays and bank holidays.

According to Newcastle University, prior to its life as a pub the building was constructed for North Eastern Railway Company workers as a literary institute.

It originally housed apartments for caretakers, a library, a 600-capacity lecture room, billiards and dining rooms.

Kings Church Gateshead was established as Family Church in November 2013.

Services were conducted in Gateshead Old Town Hall until 2016 when the church moved to Swan Street. As of April 2024, the church was located at South Street Community Primary School.

A neighbourhood consultation on the planning application expires on 21 August, with a decision to follow at a later date.