Oxford's North Gate Hall to be renovated back into a church

North Gate Hall in St Michael's Street stands opposite Oxford Union's building in St Michael's Street

A Grade II listed church that was converted into a restaurant can be used as a chapel again after a council granted permission.

North Gate Hall in St Michael's Street, Oxford, was used as a Bill's restaurant from 2012 but shut in 2020 due to the pandemic and never reopened.

It was built in 1871 to designs by city architect JC Curtis and used as a United Methodist Free Church chapel.

Oxford City Council approved an application on Tuesday.

It said the proposal would "accord with the special character, setting, features of special architectural or historic interest of the listed building".

Any development to bring the chapel back into its original use must be done within three years.

The building was also used for offices in the late 1950s and an Afro-Caribbean social club in 1989 before it was converted into a restaurant 10 years ago.