An evangelical Christian group have hopes of transforming a long vacant nightclub building into a church. The Potters House Church, want to use the building on St Georges Road in Bolton town centre for their services and meetings.
The building, next door to the town’s Holiday Inn and facing the Market Place shopping centre, was once a piano bar and later an indie music night spot.
The bar had various names over the years including the Pink Panther, Jungle and Uropa but has been closed now for around 20 years.
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The Potter’s House Christian Fellowship is a Pentecostal church formed in the the 1970s in the USA. Their local website, states: “Potter’s House Bolton is a vibrant church that believes Jesus Christ is relevant for people today. We encourage all to get involved in being a disciple (follower) through actively participating in the local church."
Their services include ‘high-energy worship music’ and their current meeting place in the town is on Chorley Street, above the Travis Perkins building. A design and access statement in support of the application for a proposed change of use to the building, said: “It was previously used as a nightclub but has not been in use in recent years.
“The application proposes a change of use for the site to become a place of worship. The proposal for change of use is made on behalf of Potters House Church, Bolton, who intend to purchase the site, subject to the receipt of planning consent for change of use.
“The applicants' intention would be to bring the existing building, which is currently derelict, back into use as a placeof worship and community asset to the surrounding area.
“The building is currently derelict and has not been used for a long period of time, and as such has become an area subject to trespass presenting a safety and security concern to the wider area. Steps have been taken to enhance the security of the building, such as by boarding up the existing windows and doors, and this has had a negative effect on the visual amenity of the site.
“The proposal to bring the existing building back into use, would safeguard its security into the future and would address the issue of visual amenity, while also creating a valuable community asset.”
Bolton Council will now decide on the change of use plans.
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