Bethany Hall, in Prestwick’s Shaw Road, will be demolished and replaced with a new building.
Ayrshire Live can reveal that plans were previously lodged in November to tear down the existing structure and build a replacement hall on the same site.
Now the proposals, for 10 Shaw Road, have been approved by council planners.
Agents in the proposals were Stairhill Architecture Ltd, from Annbank, and the applicant was Mr N Jenkinson, of Monkton.
Bethany Hall has been a place of Christian worship and outreach for 96 years, originally established in 1929.
Over the decades, it has served the local community, with the current hall being built in 1959 to accommodate a growing congregation.
However, according to a supporting statement the current hall has reached an age where it requires “extensive modernisation and maintenance” to operate at its “full potential.”
Preliminary reports were carried out to analyse the options for renovation or replacement. It concluded that the replacement of the existing hall with a modern purpose-built hall was the “most cost effective solution” in the long term.
The agents said they wanted to create a “modern energy efficient” building that is “multifunctional” to allow “simultaneous use.” And the building should be “cost effective and energy efficient” too.
It is also hoped that minimal ongoing maintenance to create a functional cost efficient building will ensure “longevity” of the congregation and wider community facilities.
The statement continues: “The existing Bethany Hall is outdated, requires significant maintenance, and no longer meets the needs of the church or the wider community.
“The proposed replacement hall will replace the ageing facility with a more flexible, sustainable, and accessible building to meet the needs of both the church and the wider community.
“The current hall’s design is limited, restricting the range of activities that can be supported. The new build will provide greater flexibility and adaptability.
“A new replacement facility will ensure the hall continues to serve for decades to come.”
The plans incorporate off road parking for 12 vehicles with cycle parking.
In approving the proposals, council papers said: “Given the nature, scale and location of the building, it is regarded that the development proposal, as conditioned, can be successfully integrated without any adverse impact on the residential amenity, setting, character or appearance of the locality.”