The Plymouth Brethren Christian Church is a Christian fellowship driven by care and compassion. Members of the Church have lived and worked in the UK for nearly 200 years and we are committed to serving our local communities, including through extensive charitable and philanthropic activities.
Further information can be found on our website: www.plymouthbrethrenchristianchurch.org
There is a recognised need to establish a location that serves local members of the Church and facilitates its social impact in St Helens and the wider Merseyside area.
To meet this need, the Church identified and purchased land off Rainhill Road to deliver the unified proposals, recognising the potential to revitalise a derelict brownfield site and deliver a high-quality place that meets the needs of the congregation and facilitates its charitable activities in the area.
The site was previously used as a mental health facility but is now in a poor state with the derelict buildings. The land is an ongoing safety concern for the local community which regularly attracts anti-social behaviour. This includes the site being blighted by multiple arson attacks, fly tipping and the illegal disposal of other paraphernalia in recent years.
The proposals represent a significant investment into the regeneration of the derelict brownfield site to deliver a high-quality place that contributes meaningfully to the character and value of the area.
Rainhill Place will provide a place to coordinate the Church’s charitable activity in St Helens and the surrounding Merseyside area through the Rapid Relief Team.
The Church’s philanthropic work will be further supported through the non-for-profit Campus & Co, with all proceeds reinvested into education, charity and other community outreach programmes run by the Church.
As a public place of worship, the local community will also be able to visit the Gospel Hall. There will also be opportunities for the Hall to support local community activities.
As well as this, the outline permission for learning or local community uses on the western half of the Site will offer a purpose-driven opportunity to come forward in the future.
If delivered, Rainhill Place would also create numerous job opportunities and provide a meaningful boost to the local economy. For example, should an OneSchool Global Campus come forward, it will create new local teaching and administrative roles, with excellent career pathways and innovative training and development opportunities. The re-development would also create jobs during construction with further economic benefits in the wider supply chain.
In line with local and national planning policy on bringing forward new proposals within the Green Belt, the proposals have been carefully developed in collaboration with St Helens Borough Council to protect the character and openness of the site and wider Green Belt.
As a result, our proposals would ensure that the site is better used to reflect its position within the Green Belt.
In line with similar Gospel Halls around the country, around five to six services per week are anticipated to take place. These typically fall outside of peak travel times so there is no detrimental impact on the local road network. For example, this includes evening services on weekdays, which begin after 7pm, and a regular Sunday morning service.
The Campus & Co will be open between 8am – 3pm, Monday to Friday to local members of the Church. The small supermarket will also be run by volunteers from the Church.
The Campus & Co will be open between 8am – 3pm, Monday to Friday to local members of the Church. The small supermarket will also be run by volunteers from the Church, and is for use by members only.
It is anticipated that the Rapid Relief Team support facility would also be accessed during these times.
The Church expects to submit a planning application to St Helens Borough Council by the autumn of 2024. Subject to approval, the Gospel Hall, RRT facility and Campus & Co, would be expected to take up to 18 months to deliver.
Alongside this, the Church would bring forward a reserved matters approval for the community or learning facility (Use Class F) proposals.
Construction of the Gospel Hall will be delivered in a manner which is responsible and respectful to the surrounding area. As part of this, a construction management plan will be agreed with St Helens Borough Council to mitigate any impact on local residents and the surrounding area.
Any subsequent Use Class F plans at the west of the site will follow a similar approach to construction.
As part of a remediation process of the land, existing buildings to the north and west of the site would be demolished. We will appoint a leading demolition contractor who has extensive experience in sensitively delivering this type of work. They will operate with a clear demolition process protocol that is respectful to the community and environmentally sensitive.
Having been used previously as a mental health facility, the site is well-equipped to accommodate vehicles entering and leaving the area. Our proposals have been developed to reflect this prior use, while being sensitive to the capacity of Rainhill Rd and Elton Head Rd.
The original entrance to the west, off Rainhill Road will be retained and will provide access to the outline proposals. Meanwhile, a new vehicular access off Elton Head Road will be created to provide access to the Gospel Hall.
Our proposals will provide car parking that is sufficient to accommodate those accessing the site via car. This will prevent any car parking from overspilling onto neighbouring roads now, and in the future.
A Transport Assessment will also support the application and will provide an assessment of the impact the proposal will have on the local highway network.
The public consultation will close on 2nd October 2024 at 5:30pm.
The project team will then carefully review all comments received on the proposals. The views of residents will be carefully balanced against the requirements of national and local planning policy, the views of planning officers and other statutory consultees, when finalising the planning application which will be submitted to St Helens Borough Council.
