A plan to remove 17 pews from a landmark Douglas church is a sign of the changing role churches play in our world.

An application for registered building consent (18/01014/CON) has been submitted by the vicar Reverend P Frear and church wardens including John Walmsley who is the signatory on the documents.

The application was originally submitted in January, however had to be delayed while it was decided who is legally responsible for the church.

Planners have now received legal advice that the church wardens are recognised as ’responsible persons’ for the purpose of the application.

The application states the church was originally designed to hold 1,000, although it holds slightly less now.

It also states: ’The ground floor area is only full on two or three occasions during the year (and only rarely for large funerals).’

The 17 pews are 13 forward facing ones and four inwards facing ones from the front of the church.

This will allow the church to operate as a community space able to host coffee mornings, lent lunches and other community events.