TENTATIVE plans are being made to transform a church building into a youth centre.

The Gazette exclusively revealed last month proposals being considered by Dursley Town Council and the Tabernacle United Reform Church to turn the minister’s Grade II listed home into the town’s new youth centre.

Rev Simon Helme, minister at Dursley Tabernacle, said the church had been considering for some time the possibility of relocating the manse, as it is known, and redeveloping the building.

The manse was built in 1807 and pre-dates the Tabernacle chapel next door.

The property has been home to the incumbent minister at the church ever since, however, the three-storey house, which is linked to the church and church hall is now considered unsuitable as a family home.

Mr Helme said: "What the church has decided is that it is no good as a family to live in – there is very little privacy.

"It’s been rumbling on for a few years the idea of moving the family out of the manse."

He added: "Since we announced the proposals people have been very positive. There has been a good response."

Mr Helme said an architect would now be appointed to start working with interested parties, including local young people, about how to make best use of the ground floor.

Initial plans include transforming the two front rooms into a meeting room and games rooms, and demolishing internal walls to the rear of the downstairs to create an open-plan meeting area for young people.

Proposals also include creating a pathway from Parsonage Street up to the manse.

Mr Helme said, ideally the church would like to remove the staircase and make the ground floor self-contained, the upper floors would then be knocked through to the adjoining church halls.

He said: "One of the major areas we are going to have to explore with this project is conservation, and health and safety – this is by no means a done deal."

The South of Stroud Youth Partnership, which is co-ordinating youth work in the Gazette area, is currently out to tender on a youth worker who will help re-establish youth work in Dursley initially at Dursley Community Centre on a Monday night.