A South Lakes church wants to convert its vestry into a holiday let to help support it financially.
The plan at the Grade II listed Kendal United Reformed Church in Highgate would help secure its future as an amenity space in the town, its leaders said.
It has applied to South Lakes District Council for the change of use.
The plan, submitted by Bruce Withington, says a double bedroom with an en suite bathroom would be created in the vestry.
A lobby area between the vestry and the sports hall at the back of the church would be used as a utility room and cloakroom, with the door to the sports hall being blocked.
The application includes provision of an area of private amenity space to the south.
A yard to the north west would be used as a bin and recycling store and for an air source heat pump to replace the existing boiler.
A toilet, separate to the en suite, would be created and a new heating boiler situated in the utility area.
The entrance door would be refurbished, with the lobby leading to a living-kitchen-dining room.
“The alterations will retain the existing window openings and fireplace,” says the planning application.
“The existing male toilet will be removed to create this area.”
The thermal performance of the building would be improved by, for example, replacing single-glazed windows with double- or triple-glazed.
“All replacement windows and doors will be in painted timber to match the existing design styles and section profiles,” says the design and access statement.
“The overall scheme has been designed to be as sympathetic to this listed building by not altering the external appearances.”
The statement says the holiday let could, when not in use, be used as ‘ancillary to the church assembly’.
“The existing fire escape route from the main body of the church is to be maintained via the existing door from the apse into the proposed bedroom,” says the statement.
Both full permission and listed planning permission are being sought for the work.
