Aintree Baptist: scaling the planning application hurdles

Aintree Baptist: scaling the planning application hurdles

Making personal, face-to-face contact with experts in their field is the unique value of CRE – as Rev Geoff Bentley of Aintree Baptist Church, Liverpool found out last year.

He met Mark Newall, director of BCHN Architects, at CRE 23 in Solihull. Their conversation led to the company being invited to plan the remodelling of the Victorian era building.

‘We are now progressing the design towards a planning application via our collaborative design process,’ said Mark. The whole congregation has been involved in the planning process with company experts holding a series of meetings to determine individual church members’ views.

Original thoughts of demolishing the building had been put forward before but these were rejected by the Liverpool planning department. BCHN were asked to remodel the present building, demolish existing extensions and create a new development to include a meeting hall for at least 200 people, various smaller meeting rooms, a reception area, office and foyer café, along with storage areas.

The new plans include redeveloping the present building to two stories, without overlooking adjacent properties, and working out how visitors can park either in the church car park or other nearby areas.

‘It was a long process as we wanted the whole church, neighbours and other stakeholders to be satisfied with the final plans,’ said Mark. ‘We hope to make the planning application in August.’

Based in Shrewsbury, BCHN Architects began life in 1963 as Leonard Baart Associates and has evolved through various changes until becoming BCHN Architects in 2023 following the merger of Baart Harries Newall and Bott Cruise Architects.

‘The collaborative relationship we form with our clients is central to the way we work, with dialogue at the heart of everything we do,’ said Mark.

Pastor Bentley, who took over the leadership of the church in 2017, situated near the historic site of the world-famous Grand National steeplechase, said: ‘We are seeing the closure of many churches and other publicly accessible buildings, but we are growing numerically. We can serve the community in a wider and more effective ways if we have the facilities to support these tasks.’

‘Our job was to provide those facilities and in consultation with the church, that is what has happened,’ said Mark.

• BCHN Architects are on stand F5 at CRE 24

Photo: Members of Aintree Baptist Church consider plans to modernise their church.

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