Now that we have the final document we needed from the Charity Commission, it’s time to go into a bit more detail about the new church building.
New Building/Old Soul
The new building is a mixed use development, comprising a part-five part-four storey building with our church on the ground floor and eight new separate flats above, with associated cycle parking, bin storage and soft and hard landscaping.
The whole of the ground floor is wheelchair accessible.
Most importantly, it’s on the exact same plot that the church has always occupied, and remains very much in the heart of the local community.
A Fantastic New Internal Layout
Our new church will have a net internal area of 239 sqm, which includes a 80 sqm main hall along with 5 side rooms plus a kitchen, a store room, waiting areas , a reception and cloakrooms,
It will be marginally smaller than the existing church (4 sqm), but with a more efficient and modern layout.
We also gained a lovely outdoor courtyard, accessed from side room 3.
On the plans below, access to the flats above is shaded in blue.
Warmer , Brighter And Cheaper To Run
The church will be constructed from modern energy efficient materials and be heated by the latest high tech boiler system. Not only will the church be warmer, but more economical to run.
And no more leaky, drafty windows !
Into The Modern Era
We are also planning to install a 100 volt line pa system, reducing the need for large speakers and amplifiers and lowering levels of noise disturbance to the residential flats upstairs.
We’ll also be including an audio induction loop system for visitors that use hearings aids.
With so many churches live streaming their services and events, we plan to also install cameras to allow us to do the same.
Available For The Community To Use
As part of the planning permission, we have agreed to make the building available to local community groups for 20 hours a week.
This will be mainly weekday mornings, and will not impact on the use of the building as a Spiritualist Church.
However, we won’t be renting out the hall for wedding receptions and parties, and alcohol will not be permitted on site.
This should also provide us with a small regular income, and improve the long-term sustainability of the church.
We also hope to be able to employ a local resident as a caretaker for the building, taking some of the workload off the committee.
Our Travel Plan Is Green !
We are preparing a brand new travel plan for the church, using healthy and sustainable modes of transport rather than private vehicles.
Our Travel Plan will be highlighted on our website and social media platforms, and be subject to regular monitoring and review by our Travel Plan Coordinator
For blue badge holders there are still a number of parking spaces nearby..
The church is well served by a number of bus routes, and is less than a mile walk from four railway stations.
And you can see on the site plan above, we have ample cycle storage outside the main entrance.
The Lewisham Spiritualist Church and Community Centre will be a modern custom built facility, serving the needs of local community groups and the Spiritualist community.
We look forward to welcoming everyone.