Powys church which closed could reopen as community hub

A Powys church which closed last year could reopen as a community hub.

St Andrew's Church in Norton, near Presteigne, was closed by Anglican leaders because of declining attendance and lack of funds for maintenance.

Norton Community Trust was created to save the Grade II*-listed building and adapt it for community use.

It has set aside half of the £100,000 needed and will seek to raise the rest if planning permission is given for the project.

The trust has provisionally agreed a lease with the Church in Wales to take control of the building this year, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The main changes would be to remove the pews, upgrade the heating system, move the font and install accessible toilet and kitchen facilities.

A design and access statement said: "The conversion scheme seeks to secure the future of the redundant church as community facility.

"The alterations will make the church interior a more welcoming, inclusive, accessible and flexible space, better able to serve the community."

Coffee mornings, exercise classes, a book exchange, and mother and baby classes are among the regular events suggested for the building, along with meeting space for a range of local clubs.

The venue would also be available for hire for events such as festivals, concerts, parties, exhibitions and produce fairs.

The building is listed because it is a "virtually complete example" of the rural work of Sir George Gilbert Scott, who restored the original medieval church in 1868.

Powys County Council will decide on the plans at a future date.