A former church in Kirkby could be converted into supported living homes after new plans were submitted.
The former brick-built St Andrews Church in Marlborough Road, Kirkby-in-Ashfield, was constructed between the First and Second World Wars but closed just a few decades later in 1961.
The site was later used for a range of purposes, including as a workshop, but other records say the building had also been converted into a house.
As of April 2025, it was on the market as a six-bed home and is listed as sold for £180,000 on estate agent Newton Fallowell’s website.
Now, developer Marlborough Road Apartments Ltd has submitted plans to Ashfield District Council to re-convert the space into eight supported living apartments, along with communal lounge facilities and parking.
According to documents, the apartments would be available for those with learning disabilities, autism, ADHD, mental health conditions, and physical disabilities.
Plans say any future staff would work on a shift basis, where 24-hour support on site would be commissioned and a staff ‘sleep-in’ would function on site during nighttime hours.
If plans are approved, the old church building would have two extensions, with the west end being extended on both floors but the south side would only be extended on the first floor.
According to plans, the project would try to improve the overall appearance of the building which has had “inappropriate alterations” in the past, where some of these would be covered by the new extension.
Documents say existing church windows have been bricked up but these would be partially reopened during the conversion phase and a lot of the character of the church building will be kept.
A letter from Nottinghamshire County Council in July 2025 published in the district council’s planning portal said at the time there would be “no legal obligation” on the authority to make support placements at the site but confirmed “we believe we have an imminent need” for this type of accommodation.
The County Council said it was working to develop extra housing solutions for a “substantial number of people waiting in the Ashfield Area”.
Ashfield District Council will decide on the proposals at a later stage.
