Plans to breathe new life into an old South Leeds church which has been empty for more than a decade

Beeston Methodist Church, on the junction between Wesley Street and Town Street, could be converted into a community support centre, with seven residential flats built into the upper floors.

Very similar plans were approved by Leeds City Council in 2019, albeit with eight flats included instead of seven.

However, Logic Architecture, who’ve submitted the new application on behalf of the church’s owner, Richard Willis, said the contractor who’d started the job last year had “left the project”, with much of the work still to be completed.

They said the new proposals were an “enhancement” on the previous version.

A design and access statement submitted as part of the application said: “As a result of no redevelopment work since 2010 and a change of ownership the building has remained empty/derelict for many years and is now in urgentneed of regeneration.

“The majority of the internal fittings and fixtures have been removed and the building over the years has suffered from a pigeon infestation.”

It added: “This is a well-conceived scheme to bring back an attractive and prominently sited former Methodist Church back into productive use.”

Under the plans, five of the flats would be two-bed properties, with the remaining two one-beds.

The community support centre would be located on the ground floor. In the 2019 version of the plans, the space was earmarked for a housing charity to offer support to local people on low incomes.

The church building itself is thought to date back to the 1860s.