January 25, 2023 7.00 pm This story is over 24 months old

Lincoln church to be converted to retirement flats

A major new care home

A former church on Lincoln High Street will be turned into elderly living accommodation as part of a large new care home.

The former United Reform Church will form five apartments, with another 20 built on land nearby.

It is the second part of a major new facility from Torsion Care, with 73 en-suite rooms already given the go ahead.

The first part was approved last year for the disused Peugeot dealership next door.

The new care home is near the South Park roundabout and will be accessed off Cross Spencer Street.

The Abacus Motor Group showroom and other repair buildings will be demolished as part of the work.

The neighbouring Abacus motor group | Photo: LDRS/The Lincolnite

The first application narrowly passed the City of Lincoln Council’s planning committee last April, with concerns about the width of the access road.

However, the second was approved by council officers without being called in. Six objections had been received from local residents.

Speaking about the first application last year, Councillor Bob Hewson said: “This facility is definitely needed. It’s the ideal site as a brownfield area, and could create an attractive entrance into the city.”

Visual showing the converted chapel building providing new retirement living accommodation (left) and proposed care home (right). | Photo: Stem Architects Ltd

The church is currently used as office and storage space. Meanwhile, the Abacus garage has attracted drug use and squatters since it closed in 2018.

Chris Burns, speaking for Torsion Care, told the previous meeting: “There is a huge undersupply of care beds in Lincoln. Facilities like these are desperately needed, and would relieve strain on the NHS.

“This would turn a disused, derelict site which has attracted drug users and squatters into a prosperous care home.”

The application is likely to be a visual improvement for the site, which is currently surrounded by boards.


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