Plans to revamp a Chester community church have been given the go-ahead.

An application had been submitted to Cheshire West and Chester Council on behalf of St Mark's Church, St Marks Road, Saltney, for a proposed extension and refurbishment of the church hall and link building.

A design and access statement supplied by Cassidy and Ashton said the plans includes an extension to the foyer of the link building and refurbishment of both the link building and part of the ancillary facilities to the church hall.

As such, the development would allow for an open-plan welcome foyer and café space, a larger kitchen and a designated 'brew' space. There would also be a designated staff team room, a new meeting room and consolidation of toilet facilities.

The visualisation of St Marks Churchs extension and refurbishment plan. Source: Cassidy and Ashton planning document.

The visualisation of St Mark's Church's extension and refurbishment plan. Source: Cassidy and Ashton planning document.

The applicants added: "The multi-purpose welcome foyer and café will serve as the new entrance to the building providing a contemporary welcoming environment with clear visibility from the street.

"The Hub is intended to be ‘The window into your Church’, so that the community can see that the church is open seven days a week.

"The refurbishment and extension will allow the church to better engage with the local community, by adapting accommodation to provide a much more relevant suite of spaces suited to their needs."

A heritage statement by Henderson Heritage stated the church building itself is listed as Grade II, as is the church lych gate. It was built in 1892 and consecrated in 1893, while a hall has been on the site since the 1940s. The link building was created in 1994.

Recommending approval, a council planning officer said the refurbishment bid would not harm the listed building and gate, but "will, in fact, result in an improvement to both."

The plans were given the go-ahead, subject to a scheme for the provision of bat roosting and bird boxes being submitted, to provide adequate safeguards for the protection of any protected species or habitats existing on the site.