The Grade II listed former St Andrews church will see a trampoline and vault track installed in its nave
St Andrews Church on Stanley Road, Bootle(Image: Colin Lane/Liverpool Echo)
Plans for a new gymnastics and trampolining centre in a disused church in Bootle have been approved by Sefton Council. The Grade II listed St Andrew’s on Stanley Road will become an Olympic gymnastics and trampolining facility. The church ceased to be used in 2019 due to low numbers of worshippers, although it currently retains features such as its pulpit and some pews, according to the plans.
The new gymnastics centre will be facilitated by Altius Gymnastics, which has already worked with Liverpool Trampoline Gymnastics in Speke, and has more than 1,000 members across its other sites.
Under the plans, the church’s nave will serve as the main activity hall, with equipment such as a trampoline and a vault track installed.
The applicant said that it intended to make these changes without impacting the existing flooring and so that the equipment could be removed if the church were to be restored to its original state in the future.
The chancel and altar space will become a soft play area for younger children, and the side aisles will become viewing areas with a small café and kitchen area at one end.
3D Artists Impression of the gymnastics and trampoline facility planned for St Andrews Church in Bootle (Image: Liverpool Trampoline Gymnastics Academy)
The former choir vestry is to be converted into a room for storage, staff meetings and potentially children’s parties.
A spokesperson for the applicant previously said: “St Andrew’s has unfortunately fallen into considerable disrepair over the years.
“However, when the church was originally offered to us, we knew that although it didn’t fall within our usual residential development scope, that we could find a suitable long term use which had community engagement at the heart of the building’s future.”
A heritage statement related to the application stated that: “The church’s construction in 1903-1904 followed a significant population increase in its congregation numbers due to the growing industrial works.
St Andrews Church on Stanley Road, Bootle(Image: Colin Lane/Liverpool Echo)
“Following WWII, St Andrew’s Church remained active within the community hosting weddings and christenings.
“The church continued to support the local area throughout the 2000’s, providing opportunities to local youth in particular, until its closure on the 16th February 2019.”
In its decision, Sefton Council stated that the plans for the building “preserve the historic character of the property” as they “will bring the redundant building back into an active use and restore its key elements of architectural and historic interest”.
The council approved the plans under the condition that the pews currently in the chancel remain in place and that the applicant submit detailed drawings of replacement windows they intend to put in.