Bar and restaurant plans for unused Mansfield church

The green light was given in November to transform the old Methodist church on the corner of Nottingham Road and Bath Street into the exclusive eaterie.

The building has been sat empty for three years, but because of its Grade-II-listed status the planing department at Mansfield District Council insisted it be converted to a high standard.

They also insisted that further details were needed for the ‘mezzanine balcony’.

Work has already started on the church, which was built in 1913, but further approval is now needed.

The applicant, Nicholas Rodgers, of Mansfield-based Opulent Inns Ltd, has submitted plans to open a bar area in the balcony area.

He also wants to make improvements to the central pulpit area, reinstating previously removed balustrade to bring it as close to its original state as possible.

Toilet and kitchen plans have been re-designed while a more suitable entrance is being proposed to make it more disabled-friendly.

The building was last used as a church in 2013 but the congregation had to vacate because it was losing thousands of pounds. An application for a restaurant conversion was first submitted in April 2014.