Latest News: Welsh Church
Merseyside Buildings Preservation Trust has confirmed the sale of the much-loved former Welsh Presbyterian Church, in Princes Road, Liverpool 8 to Audsley Holdings Limited.
Since acquiring the Church in 2013 from Liverpool City Council, the Trust has worked to secure the future of the building through progressing proposals with organisations in order to preserve the buildings by bringing them back into use for the benefit of the Merseyside region.
The Trust had worked with Baltic Creative to create a creative industries hub in the Church for the benefit of Liverpool 8 entrepreneurs. Sadly this project failed because of the withdrawal of European Regional Development Funding and as a result of BREXIT. Most recently the Trust has worked in partnership with KIND, a locally based children’s charity, to progress proposals for use as a cultural and heritage centre, a low environmental impact centre for learning and excellence, as well as a new home for KIND.
The Trust successfully worked with KIND to secure a stage 1 National Heritage Lottery Fund grant of £260,000 to develop scheme proposals and submit a planning application for the site. In addition, the Trust completing a series of site tidy ups, facilitated survey works in addition to securing the site perimeter. Planning permission and listed building consent for scheme proposals to put the building back into the heart of the community as a low carbon, cultural, specialist education and heritage was granted in March 2022. However, despite securing an in-principle stage 2 grant approval from the National Heritage Lottery Fund, additional funding bids to Central Government that were required for scheme delivery were not supported. As a result, sadly the scheme had to be reluctantly abandoned.
Following the unfortunate funding news and subsequent withdrawal from the project by KIND, the Trust set out to identify a locally based organisation who could develop and deliver sympathetic proposals for the site. Subsequently, in Summer 2022, the site was sold to Audsley Holdings Limited, a locally based organisation, who are in the process of developing scheme proposals to bring the site back into active use.
Steve Power, Chair of the Trust, commented “Whilst it is extremely disappointing that funding support was not forthcoming for the magnificent KIND scheme, we wish Audsley Holdings every success in working to secure the necessary funding and statutory approvals required to deliver a scheme that will secure the future of this much-loved local landmark.”
