A disused church in Formby is set for a new life as a gymnastics centre catering for children of all ages, from toddlers to teenagers, after planning proposals for the site were approved.
Olympian-Led Project
An application to convert the vacant St Jerome’s Church on Greenloons Drive was lodged by Dan Purvis, a Scottish former Olympic gymnast who already runs gymnastics classes at Formby High School. The former Catholic church is located in the grounds of St Jerome’s Primary School, which sits within a residential area.
The conversion will involve minimal internal alteration, but an accessible WC will be put in place and the space will be redecorated. The main church hall space was already seen by the applicant as suitable for a gymnastics facility, so the plan is to work with the building as it stands, favouring “simplicity, functionality and respect for the existing structure”.
Community Benefits
The applicant said this will ensure that “the building’s identity is preserved, while enabling it to be brought back into active use in a way that benefits both the site and the wider community”. Gymnastics sessions will be scheduled throughout the day in the former church, but peak school hours will be avoided to avoid large concentrations of cars.
There are already 56 parking spaces on the site, and the applicant stated that it is unlikely that many more than six staff places would be occupied for long periods of time. The applicant also said that the residential nature of the surrounding area means that there are likely to be some spaces on the neighbouring streets.
Class Schedule and Events
The facility will offer parent and toddler, pre-school, recreational and advanced classes for older children aged between 10 and 15. Sessions will be spaced throughout the day, with advanced classes happening in the evening, after the neighbouring school has closed for the day.
There are also expected to be competition events held at the facility, which would likely be the busiest periods due to the fact that they would involve up to 24 children accompanied by parents. It is proposed that these events take place one Sunday every two months so that they are outside of school hours and more parking is available.
External Appearance and Conditions
The external appearance of the church building will not be changed by the development, with the only alteration being the introduction of a Dan Purvis Gymnastics sign outside. Sefton Council approved the plans, but stated that the gymnastics centre must only operate between the hours of 9am and 8pm on weekdays, 9am and 11.30am on Saturdays and 10am and 2pm on Sundays.
