Plans have gone in to convert a former church which is more than a century old into bedsits.

The application would see the Methodist church in Temple Street, Nelson, converted from a place of worship into a house of multiple occupation with 11 bedrooms.

The plans, submitted to Pendle Council by Nelson developer Mohammad Aslam, state the old church, which was built in 1904, is located in a residential area.

Plans also include the construction of a storage unit on the site to be used as a bin store.

Documents submitted as part of the application state the site has ample off-street parking for at least 11 vehicles, plus space for cycle storage, and is also close to a bus route and a short distance from Nelson train station.

It states: “The proposal will have a positive impact on the vitality and viability of this local area providing a specialised service.

The church has a large parking areaThe church has a large parking area (Image: Google) “The proposed use will not only contribute to the vitality of the area it will not cause harm through intensification of traffic or cause nuisance for local residents.”

The HMO would comprise 11 bedrooms with sinks occupied by single, unrelated tenants, sharing kitchen and bathroom facilities.

The current layout of the building has two large prayer halls on the ground floor, with a kitchen area and toilets, with two classrooms and a store room on the first floor.

Under the proposed plans, one of the prayer halls would be split to create a storage area and a lounge/dining room for residents, with the kitchen retained and bathroom space changed to include three toilets and two showers.

In the entrance lobby, a bike store will be created, with one bedroom being created in the old plant room, and the second prayer hall being divided into four bedrooms ranging from 16 square metres to 8.64 sqm, only slightly larger than the legal minimum size of 6.5 sqm.

On the first floor, the classroom spaces would be split to create five bedrooms of varying size – from 8.2 sqm to 15 sqm, plus another small kitchen area and a shower room.

The existing store room would become the property’s largest bedroom at 20 sqm.

Public consultation on the plans is open until Wednesday. October 30, and to comment on the application visit Pendle Council’s planning website.