May 30, 2019 1.28 pm This story is over 64 months old

Council gives its blessing to nightclub conversion

Church hopes to bring light into the community
The former nightclub has stood empty for 10 years.

Plans to turn a former Lincoln nightclub into a community centre and worship space have been given the go ahead by council bosses.

The plans, for the former Co-op Hall on Free School Lane, include a cafe, youth club, worship area and stage, and were submitted to City of Lincoln Council by the Lincoln Diocesan Trust board of finance and St Swithin’s Church.

They will include plans to remove window covers and bring in more light.

An artists impression of the outside of the building.

A planning statement from Savills, on behalf of the Diocese, explained that the building would be home for St Swithin’s Church and its outreach activities.

“At the present time, the church is unable to use its existing worship space at St Swithin’s which is immediately opposite because of the state of the building,” it said.

“Instead, the church is utilising a range of venues on a temporary basis across the city to enable its congregations to meet.”

The former Co-op Hall has been vacant for 10 years and was last used for Laser Quest.

Layout designs for the building showing where the light is hoped to enter.

The Diocese would like to create a social entrepreneur/charity hub, along with office and meeting spaces for 30-40 people for St Swithin’s Church, as well as “other organisations sharing the values and mission of the church”.

There will also be a store for clothes donated to St Swithin’s clothing bank. The worship area, it says, will accommodate 400-500 people.

Savills said the church is continuing to raise the necessary funds and undertake works at St Swithin’s but that it could take some time to do so.

“In the longer-term […] it is proposed that the ‘Salt House’ building will continue to make use of the worship area on the first floor, using it to provide additional space for community activities,” it said.

SUBSCRIBE TO LOCAL DEMOCRACY WEEKLY, our exclusive email newsletter with highlights from coverage every week, as well as insights and analysis from our local democracy reporters.