A PLAN to demolish a town centre Victorian church and its neighbouring Sunday School building and replace them with a modern church is expected to get the green light.

The new church would be used by Anglican, Methodist and Catholic worshippers while the centre would be opened up to local community use.

The Reverend Geoffrey Peddie, on behalf of the group of local churches of different denominations, applied to Pendle Council for planning permission to pull down the imposing Central Methodist Church and the next door Sunday School in Carr Road, Nelson, and replace them with a modern worship and community centre.

The plan was put on hold by Pendle Council's Nelson area committee at its last meeting so that more details about the scheme could be put forward by the churches.

A report to the area committee, which next meets on Monday, says details of how the proposed building would look have been submitted to the council and are acceptable.

There were worries about how the modern buildings would fit in with other large Victorian buildings in the street.

The churches are still waiting for a ruling by the Environment Secretary to stop the existing buildings from being listed which would prevent their demolition. The gamble is that the Secretary could decide the buildings are architecturally important and list them anyway.

Councillors are recommended to grant consent for the scheme.

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