Church which was once Heywood’s public baths is to be knocked down and replaced with apartments

A church which was previously the home of Heywood’s public baths is to be knocked down and replaced with apartments.

Kingdom Hall, in Heywood town centre, is set to be demolished to make way for a two-storey block of 10 ‘studio flats’ after planners granted ‘outline’ permission for the scheme.

The decision by Rochdale Council means the project has been agreed in principle, but further details will need to be passed to gain ‘full’ planning approval.

The 570 sq m site will be cleared for the new development provided proposals for its external appearance and landscaping are given the nod at a later date.

However, applicant Ryan Wrigley has indicated that the new ‘L-shaped’ building will be red-brick with grey tiles.

The flats will be available at market rate and served by six parking spaces and a communal garden.

 

 

The current building, on the corner of Taylor Street and Fox Street, dates back to 1891 and is listed as a heritage asset by the council.

But it has now stood empty for a number of years and a document submitted with the application says no offers have been made on it, despite ‘extensive advertising’.

A heritage assessment carried out for the applicant acknowledges claims the building is now of ‘low significance’.

And it questions whether there is ‘sufficient surviving architectural or historic interest’ to justify its classification as a ‘non-designated heritage asset’.

It adds: “The two-storey block is dated 1891 over the north entrance, although much of the historic pool hall appears to have been replaced during the conversion to a Kingdom Hall in the 1970s.

“There is no evidence for separate women’s and men’s entrances, as might be expected. Internally, the historic floor plan has been substantially altered and there is now no evidence for a ticket office or the location of changing rooms or even cubicles by the pool.”

The decaying state of the current building is also spelt out in the document.

It continues: “The building is in a very poor condition having been vacant for over five years and is at risk of occupation and vandalism, of which there was evidence at the time of survey for this report, with graffiti on the pool tiles.

“There was significant evidence of water penetration, with mould growth of the exterior of the building and extensive mould growth internally and collapsed ceilings in a number of places.”

A decision on whether to grant full planning permission will be made by Rochdale Council in due course.

Nick Statham, Local Democracy Reporter