Former bank to become church

Planning Permission has been granted to turn the former Lloyds Bank building in Newquay into a place of worship and community hub.

The Blaze Church, which has been operating from part of the Tall Trees nightclub building, applied to change the use of the former restaurant and bar – last used by Wax – into a church with community facilities.

The building on Bank Street is around 418 square metres in size. Plans include using the ground floor for a meeting and community space, while the first floor would accommodate activity rooms, toilets and offices.

According to the application, the church is funded by donations from its community and hopes to use the space to support a wide range of people in Newquay.

The church said the building was in a "dilapidated state" and required significant repairs and renovations.

Funding was also being sought to employ one or two full-time staff members to manage the building and run community activities.

The building is also set to act as a meeting point for the church’s befriending service, Two’s Company, which supports some of the most isolated people in Newquay.