Fight to lift church-only rule from former Wolverhampton Methodist church

A charity  blocked from turning a former church into a Sikh temple has asked for a restriction on the building’s use to be lifted.

Miri Piri Afghan Charitable Trust has submitted plans to City of Wolverhampton Council asking to scrap a rule granted in 1982 which means the former Wednesfield Methodist Church in Wood End Road can only be used as a church and hall.

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An application to convert the empty former church, which closed in 2017, into a nursery was rejected twice by City of Wolverhampton Council in 2022 and 2023.

The council said the plans for the 42-child nursery would create too much traffic in an already congested area.

The council added that the conversion of the albeit empty church hall would result in the loss of a community meeting space.

A move by Miri Piri Afghan Charitable Trust to convert the former Methodist church into a Sikh temple was also rejected by City of Wolverhampton Council in 2024 for similar reasons.

The council cited the 150-capacity temple would also add to congestion problems.

A statement included with the application said: “The permission was granted over forty years ago in March 1982. Planning policy, equality legislation, religious diversity and approaches to community facilities have changed significantly since that time. 

“The local planning authority must determine whether a condition imposed in 1982 continues to serve a planning purpose in 2026 rather than merely because it formed part of the original permission.”

The planning application said the 44-year-old rule prevented other religions from using the building despite it being empty.

“The condition prevents use by other Christian groups, other recognised religions, inter-faith organisations and community organisations using the premises for worship,” the application said.

“The restriction is unusually narrow and goes significantly beyond what is required to protect residential amenity. 

“There is no planning evidence that occupation by another Christian denomination, another religion, or a wider community organisation would inherently give rise to harm. 

“Any impacts arising from the use of a building are normally assessed through traffic generation, parking demand, noise, hours of operation, and intensity of use. 

“The denomination or faith affiliation of a user does not itself create planning harm.”