PLANS to give a new lease of life to one of Liskeard’s best-known historic buildings have been backed by town councillors.

Members of Liskeard Town Council’s planning committee met earlier this month and voted to support proposals to transform the Grade II-listed Wesley Methodist Church in Barn Street into a café, gallery and community space, with two flats also created within the former Sunday School.

Two applications have been submitted for the building – one for the proposed change of use and another for listed building consent.

The plans would see the main church space given a new role as a mixed café, gallery and events venue, while workshops and studios would be retained on the lower-ground floor.

The former Sunday School would be converted into two homes, with one intended for the applicants and the other available to rent.

The proposals have been shaped by feedback from the local community following the building’s opening during Liskeard Unlocked in September 2025.

Visitors were asked how they would like to see the historic space used, with suggestions including theatre, cinema, live music, performances, meetings, an artisan café, bakery, drama, poetry and other creative activities.

The applicants say that feedback helped shape the flexible, multi-use nature of the proposals now before Cornwall Council.

The Wesley building was bought in December 2024 after the Methodist congregation moved elsewhere. The church had become increasingly difficult to maintain, with previous reports highlighting problems including a leaking roof, damp and the significant cost of maintaining the historic building.

The proposals aim to secure its long-term future while retaining its most important heritage features.

Existing pews would be carefully removed from the main worship area to create a more flexible space, with the timber reused as part of the café fit-out, seating, panelling and gallery boards. However, the historic organ and pulpit would remain, along with stained-glass windows, memorial plaques and timber panelling.

Other works include repairs to flooring, new lightweight and reversible internal partitions and the installation of new services.

A kitchen extraction system is proposed through the rear garden elevation rather than through one of the building’s stained-glass windows, while the forecourt would also be resurfaced with granite setts.

The application states that the café, gallery, workshops and events space would generate income to help maintain the Grade II-listed building, while also providing a new community facility in the heart of Liskeard.

The Wesley chapel dates back to 1846 and was subsequently enlarged and restored, including work in 1887 and 1907. Its Italianate design and historic features make it an important part of the town’s streetscape.

Town councillors’ backing on September 7 does not amount to planning permission as both applications will now be considered by Cornwall Council, which will make the final decision on whether the proposed change of use and listed building works can proceed.

The applicants say their aim is to balance the preservation of the building’s heritage with finding a sustainable new purpose for the historic chapel.