Plans have gone in to turn a vacant Preston community hub into a place of worship

Plans have gone in for a new church in Ribbleton, Preston.

At the end of last month, Preston City Council received an application to change the use of Sion Park District Housing Office on Longridge Road from a community centre to a place of worship.

The 898 square metre site had been Sion Park Community Hub from January 2014 until November 2020, when the community interest company moved to a site in Clitheroe before dissolving the year later.

The Post understands that the site, addressed as 1a Longridge Road, has been vacant ever since but that could be about to change if the new plans, submitted by The Life and Light Missions, are approved.

The Light and Life Church (also known as The Life and Light) is a Romani-led Pentecostal movement, which counts tens of thousands of travellers as its members.

The Life and Light Missions is then a registered charity who offer “counselling, education and Christian support to all members of the public” according to their Charity Commision log.

In the cover letter the agent, S&L Planning Consultants confirms that “the premises would be used for church services, bible studies, prayer meetings and gospel meetings” and approximately 58 people would be attending at any one time.

Meetings would then take place on Sundays 12:00-13:00 and 17:00–19:00, Tuesdays 19:00–21:00 and Thursdays 19:00 – 21:00.

Planning documents also show that the church would have eight full-time workers and be open for use as a ‘learning and non-residential instution’ between 19:00pm and 21:00pm Monday to Friday and 12:00pm to 19:00pm on Sundays.

Submitted drawing show there are no proposed changes to the internal lay-out of the building.

Currently an entrance lobby leads you into a large hall, off which there are six offices, three toilets, two stores and a kitchenette.

In the cover letter, the agent affirms that the proposal “does not involve any external alterations or changes to the internal layout of the building” and “the submitted proposed floor plans illustrate that no physical works are proposed.”

The planning application confirms that work has not already started on the change of use.

The plans will also have no effect on vehicular or pedestrian access, trees/hedges or car parking spaces which will remain at six.

If you wish to make comments, you should do so by 27-Aug-2026 quoting ref: 06/2026/0606.

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

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