Grade II listed Preston church seeks stair lift and accessibility upgrades for congregation

A Grade II listed Preston church is seeking some modern upgrades for the benefit of its congregation.

Last week, Preston City Council received a planning application for Preston Seventh Day Adventist Church on Grimshaw Street.

Permission is being sought to install a stair lift to its south-west elevation, as well as internal alterations.

In the planning documents, the applicant explains the work is needed “as the current congregation includes members with mobility needs, including wheelchair and walking frame users.”

They add: “The current access only has a stepped approach into the building. This precludes independent access and raises concerns regarding safe evacuation.”

If approved, an external access platform stair lift will be installed to the southern door of the church that will fold down from guide rails which can be mounted on the existing stone steps.

Automatic door openers will be provided to the pair of doors at the top of the stairlift “to allow access without the need for a landing and without the need for wheelchair users to negotiate the opening of the large double doors”.

When not in use the lift will fold up against the guide rail at the base of the stair.

The proposal also includes the addition of a new ramp within the porch, which, although lightweight and fixed over the existing floor, will have “the most significant impact on the appearance of the space due to the width and length of the ramp required”.

To improve access to the toilet, it is then proposed to remove doors, alter modern partitions and fit a new door to open outwards to allow for wheelchair access.

An alarm is also proposed to the WC.

For access within the worship space, an area of access way and pew staging will be raised to the level of the community space floor, and the remainder of the access way between pews will be ramped to the level of the floor in front of the sanctuary.

A single pew will be removed to provide additional wheelchair space.

First constructed as Grimshaw Street Congregational Chapel in 1857-59, the church has been the home of the Preston Seventh Day Adventist Church since 2005, who also, as the Grimshaw Street Community Association, use and manage the attached Grimshaw Street School.

During their ownership there have been extensive repair works to restrain the Grimshaw Street facade, reroof the building and rebuild the spire.

The applicant also shared how a previous application for an access ramp was proposed in 2020, and gained planning permission and listed building content.

Explaining why that work has not gone ahead, the applicant said: “The grant situation for places of worship has changed considerably since this time, whilst construction costs have also risen. This proposal is no longer viable, although the need to access the building remains.”

You can view the full application for yourself, and make any comments if you wish to, online here.

If you wish to make comments, you should do so by 06-Dec-2026 quoting ref: 06/2026/1112.

You can comment online via the link above, by e-mail to [email protected] or in writing to the Development & Housing Directorate, Preston City Council, Town Hall, Lancaster Road, Preston PR1 2RL.

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