Former 90s nightclub in Birmingham to become a church

A former Birmingham nightclub and banqueting suite will be turned into a church.

The site on the aptly named Church Road in Aston had previously played host to La Mustiques Night Club – a disco club and restaurant formed in 1989 – before becoming an industrial unit for Mossvale Construction in 2018.

The Local Democracy Service reported in November that Chroma Church Birmingham had purchased the site after the pandemic led to an increased demand for its services.

Birmingham City Council has now approved a retrospective planning permission to change the use of the building to a place of worship, as well as permitting the church to refurbish the property.

Reverend David McNeil, senior leader and trustee at Chroma Church Birmingham, said: “We are truly delighted and relieved to have secured retrospective planning permission. We are extremely thankful to the team at Marrons for their input and persistence in ensuring we can continue operating in our current, much-loved home in Aston.

“Our journey towards purchasing the building followed a widening of our established church community’s vision to both enhance the worship experience of our growing, city-wide congregation and provide effective ministry to reach the local area with a variety of community services.

“There is a high need for social provision for young families, lone parents and the elderly to access community services in the area. We are therefore looking forward to redeveloping 76 Church Road to cater for a wide range of uses to engage and support our local community.”

The redevelopment will include a new roof, cafe, shower facilities, associated parking and a ‘chameleon style’ façade. A soft children’s play area will be created inside the building for safe indoor play.

Sachin Parmar, planning director at Marrons, a planning expert behind the application said: “The church has already embedded itself within the local community, so we were dedicated to ensuring it could continue providing its growing list of vital support services.

“We are thrilled retrospective planning permission has been granted that will ensure Chroma Church Birmingham can continue operating – helping to support economic growth and making a big difference to everyday life for the local community.