Description: Providence Place United Reformed Church is a II* listed former Congregational Chapel by Lockwood and Mawson of Bradford. It has a blue slate roof, monumental five-bay façade in the form of giant portico, interior with horseshoe gallery and box pews.

Issue: The chapel went into dis-use and due to its poor condition was put on the English Heritage Buiding at Risk Record. A proposal was put in for conversion of the chapel into an Indian restaurant. A key issue was retaining the historic integrity of the building when converting it from its original use.

Strategy: Close working between the Local Planning Authority, English Heritage and the owner was crucial at the pre-application stage. This led to a smooth process through the planning system.

Outcome: The outcome is a sensitively handled repair and reuse of an historic building. It is now the venue for a thriving business-the world’s largest  Indian restaurant.