Leap of faith as church to become trampoline gym

A disused church is set to become a trampolining centre.

The Grade II-listed St Andrews on Stanley Road in Bootle on Merseyside will become an Olympic gymnastics centre under plans lodged with Sefton Council.

The church has been empty since 2019 but still has its pulpit and some pews.

Altius Gymnastics is behind the scheme, which has been approved by Sefton Council planners.

The company has more than 1,000 members at its other sites, one of which is in Liverpool.

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 company said there would also be a soft play area for younger children, and a small cafe.

A spokesperson for the company said: "St Andrews 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 said that church was built in 1903-1904 and came at a time when the population boomed through industrial growth.

It added: "Following World War Two, St Andrews Church remained active within the community hosting weddings and christenings.

"The church continued to support the local area throughout the 2000s, providing opportunities to local youth in particular, until its closure on the 16 February 2019."

Sefton Council said the the plans for the building "preserve the historic character of the property" and would "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 that some of the pews remain in place and that detailed drawings of replacement windows were provided.

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