The council is in line to give the green light to plans to transform a former Methodist church in Dalton into flats and houses.

Members of the Barrow in Furness local area planning committee are set to approve plans to convert the former Methodist church and attached Sunday school on Wellington Street into five apartments and two houses.

Proposals include converting the Methodist church, which closed in 2016, into four two-bedroom flats, one one-bedroom flat as well as transforming the former Sunday school into two three-bedroom terraced houses.

A report by planning officers states: “The proposal is acceptable and brings non-designated heritage assets of local interest back into use and this is welcomed as a way of securing their future.

“The amended plans show a sensitive approach to the conversion; whilst much is dependent on the skills of the developer a good quality development should result which will help to meet the Council’s housing targets.”

Planning documents state that while the buildings are not listed it is acknowledged they are still of ‘great architectural character’ so the decision has been made to retain these buildings and convert them with ‘minimal alteration’.

“This will ensure that the buildings are brought into a viable modern day use, whilst still paying homage to their history”, the design and access statement adds.

According to planning documents the Methodist church was constructed in 1864 as a detached building and The Sunday school was then added in 1868 as an infill development between the Methodist church and 22 Wellington Street.

The buildings were closed in 2016 when the Methodist Church of Great Britain became an ecumenical partnership with the United Reformed Church.

A report prepared by planning officers for the committee meeting states the plans have received four objections which raise concerns over the developments impact on parking.

In response planning officers state: “Whilst there are a number of objections around car parking and traffic, including from the Parish Council, it is worth highlighting that in terms of the range of uses the properties could be used for residential use tends to be at the lower end of traffic generation particularly for the modest scale of development proposed.”

Members of the development control committee are recommended to approve the application when they meet on March 12 at Barrow Town Hall.