A CHURCH building in Widnes which has been used as a gathering place for community groups looks set to be demolished.

Plans have been submitted by the Archdiocese of Liverpool to bulldoze Our Lady Of Perpetual Succour on Mayfield Avenue, along with the presbytery (Priest house), parish centre and club.

The application to the council’s planning committee said the building had not been used as a church and could be at risk of vandalism and fire.

If approved, the work would get underway on November 15, the buildings would be flattened and the land covered in topsoil and grass.

A spokesman for the Archdiocese, said: “It is just over six years since Our Lady’s Church ceased to be a place of worship in St Wilfrid’s Parish.

“Since then, the building has been used as a pastoral centre, a gathering place for parish and community activities.”

They said the presbytery has been unoccupied since 2010 and its condition has deteriorated to such an extent that it would need ‘significant spending’ to make it habitable or to convert to alternative use.

They added that the Parish Centre has ceased to trade as a licensed premises because of the pandemic.

He added: “Following a review of the buildings, and in the light of the financial impact of the pandemic on the parish, the trustees of the Archdiocese have taken the decision to demolish all the buildings on the site.

“The various parish and community groups have been informed of this decision and have been offered alternative accommodation within parish properties in St Wilfrid’s Parish.”