£2.7m restoration project under way to bring Lancaster church back to life

Following a successful bid to the National Lottery Heritage Fund by the Churches Conservation Trust, work will now increase at pace to deliver a project based at St John the Evangelist Church.

The ‘Chamber at St John’s' project will see the Grade I listed Georgian chapel-of-ease transformed from a redundant building at risk to a vibrant landmark in the city centre, enhancing the prosperity and well-being of the whole community.

The church will be leased to the Lancaster & District Chamber of Commerce and will provide a physical ‘Chamber’ for the organisation to build and grow a networked community of entrepreneurs to help Lancaster prosper.

To support the successful delivery of the project, Mosedale Gillatt Architects have been appointed to lead a consultant team that will see the £2.7m project through from feasibility to completion on site.

Tim Mosedale, director of Mosedale Gillatt Architects, said: "We are excited to be working again with the Churches Conservation Trust, and look forward to collaborating with the Lancaster & District Chamber of Commerce.

"This project will blend the very best of innovative contemporary architecture with specialist heritage knowledge to complement a beautifully conserved historic setting."

Elanor Johnson, regeneration officer at the Churches Conservation Trust, said: "Working in partnership with Lancaster & District Chamber of Commerce, CCT are excited for the future of St John’s, a beautiful building with so much potential to be a part of city life once more.

"Thanks to National Lottery players and other supporters, we’ve been able to bring together a specialist team to support all aspects of the project, from conservation and design to business planning support."

The trust will bring their expertise in community-led regeneration, building conservation and public engagement and the Chamber of Commerce bring a beneficial new purpose to St John’s, as a co-working and enterprise space, both of which are essential to a successful collaborative scheme.

The church will be multi-purpose: used predominantly by the business community of Lancaster during office hours, and open to the public for concerts, talks, community events and heritage open days in the evenings and at weekends.

Together, the groups aim to deliver an inspiring adaptive re-use project which is locally rooted, financially viable, and sustainable long-term.

The project promises a sensitive adaptation of the former church’s historic interiors to create co-working areas, offices and meeting spaces.

A new extension in the churchyard will be carefully designed to maintain the focus on the existing building and setting whilst providing much needed facilities.

The churchyard will be opened to members of the public with a scheme of interpretation helping to better understand the history of the church and those remembered there.

You can follow the project more closely on the Churches Conservation Trust website at www.visitchurches.org.uk or on the Lancaster & District Chamber of Commerce website at https://lancaster-chamber.org.uk/