Plans to alter a children’s play centre into a place of worship in Tenby, have been welcomed by local councillors.
Two planning applications submitted by Mr. Ian Rees, Trustees of Tenby Christian Fellowship, for alterations at the Ocean Commotion premises situated on Lower Frog Street came before members of Tenby Town Council at their meeting on Tuesday night.
The original building on the site opened in 1822 as Tabernacle Congregational Chapel, sold to Calvinistic Methodists (Presbyterians) in 1869 as the Congregational had St Johns built the year before because the Lower Frog Street building had grown too small to hold the congregation.
The current Grade 2 listed building was constructed in 1886, with a schoolroom added in 1892.
“It closed as a place of worship in the late 20th Century according to our records - I haven’t got an exact date for that, but I know Tenby Players used to rehearse in the schoolroom in the early ’90s and it wasn’t an active chapel then,”?explained the town clerk, Andrew Davies.
“Also the Congregational Church and the Presbyterians agreed nationally to amalgamate in 1971 to form the United Reformed Church.
“The URC in Tenby was based at St. Johns, so my guess is that it could have closed in the ’70s,”?he added.
Councillors gave the thumbs up for the latest proposals of a change of use for the building to a place of worship, with ancillary café and bookshop, along with plans for the replacement of front doors and internal alterations at the building.
Tenby Civic Society have also welcomed the proposals, stating that, although the loss of an indoor children’s play centre was a shame, restoration of church use was appropriate.
Both organisations’ recommendations will be passed on to the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority.