A community hub is set to take over a vacant church hall in Cardiff. Permission has been granted for the Salvation Army church building in Cathays to be transformed into a hub providing community facilities and office space.
The building on May street in Cathays has been vacant for three years - "due to the lack of demand for its existing use" as a place of worship, the application form reads. The planning proposal, which has been approved by Cardiff Council, proposes to convert the building from a church hall to a community hub for all the Cardiff Outreach Services provided by the Salvation Army.
Due to the building's "significant historic importance" there will be no structural alterations made to the building, the design and access statement reads. The hub will offer a place for community celebrations and activities, and will also offer food bank vouchers.
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The application proposes to use the large hall as an open-plan office area with workstations located throughout the space. Services provided at the hub would include a drop-in tenancy support service in partnership with United Welsh Housing Association.
Other services would include an outreach service working with those sleeping on the streets as well as Housing First, which works with those who have lived on the streets of Cardiff for "a significant period."
The hall was last used in June 2019 and has been vacant since. The building previously hosted the Repair Café, a nationwide scheme to reduce landfill by repairing household items. A report concluded that "the proposals will contribute towards efforts to reduce homelessness and improve well-being and are supported by national and local planning policies."
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