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Search the Public Notice PortalPlanners have rejected the proposal to convert the Thanksgiving Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes on Whinney Heys Road in Blackpool into a mental health centre.
The plans were rejected by the planning committee as they saw, “no clear local need to use the Shrine as part of Newton Drive facility” and said that “clear need had not been demonstrated by the applicant” for additional mental health beds within Blackpool.
The council said: “This level of intervention was considered to be harmful to the significance of the shrine.”
The Grade II* listed building was built between 1955 and 1957, and was saved from demolition in 1999.
The proposed plans would have joined the church to the neighbouring specialist rehabilitating centre for men suffering with complex mental health issues, Cygnet Newton House.
Owner of Newton House and mental health service providers Cygnet had been in the process of purchasing the church, with plans to turn the 21-bed facility into a 35-bed facility.
The Thanksgiving Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes was being purchased by Cygnet from the Historic Chapels Trust (HCT), which is closing.
A spokesperson for Blackpool Council said: “The planning committee refused this application in line with the officer recommendation.
“While it would be of public benefit to bring the building back into use, no clear local need to use the Shrine as part of the Newton Drive facility had been demonstrated, and there were no convincing justifications that overrode the harm that the scheme would cause to the Shrine.
“The main consideration was determining whether there was a need for additional mental health beds within Blackpool, but clear need for that had not been demonstrated by the applicant.
"The council’s director of adult services had clearly confirmed that Blackpool’s needs were being met.
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“Another consideration was the impact on the Shrine itself. Part of the proposals included the installation of a therapy pod within the centre of the worship space.
"Officers found that the pod would be visually obtrusive and reduce the legibility of the space and spatial clarity.
"This level of intervention was considered to be harmful to the significance of the Shrine.”
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