A WORSHIP space, auditorium, classrooms and a creche are all part of the plans to transform one of Swindon's heritage buildings into a modern church.

Formal plans have been lodged by the Diocese of Bristol to transform the old GWR Pattern Store - and they show the building will host a children’s area, space for teenagers, and a library-style study room as well as a cafe, worship room and more.

Rebecca Cross, strategic programme manager for the diocese said: “It is proposed that the Pattern Store will house a contemporary worship space along with community facilities and an office workspace.

"Planning and listed building consent applications have now been submitted.

"It is hoped that work will commence in the spring to bring this heritage building back into local use.”

The application to Swindon Borough Council’s planners shows the lower ground floor could house a major theatre-style auditorium, suitable for music, talks and worship, seating scores of people in a semi-circle in front of a raised stage.

There will also be a space for refreshments, or a creche and children’s group.

Upstairs will be a lobby and cafe in the central area, with classrooms and offices off it, with a youth space and another classroom on the first floor and open plan workspace with shared large desks on the second floor.

And there are further plans to cover the water tank on the roof of the building into a play and recreation space - but that is not part of the current application.

The application says: “It is proposed to remove all modern partitioning and fittings to the ground and lower ground floors to restore the original volumes, exposing original columns, brickwork elevations, vaulted ceilings and woodblock flooring as found on the upper floors.

“Proposals include a new reversible stage within the restored volume, with decorative screens to the windows to the north elevation acting as a backdrop to the worship space.”

The damaged turntable outside the building is also part of the site and the application.

The church says it will be repaired, and it wants to have a new pedestrian path to the building “through the turntable along the central axis. This allows the public to interact with the turntable which is currently surrounded by railings.”

The church will be working with local interest groups to raise the funding to restore the turntable.

Services for the church are held at 10am on Sundays at The Platform, Farringdon Road.