A CITY centre church is looking to help pay for the upkeep of its building by building four new apartments in a disused garage.

The old building behind St George’s Catholic Church, which is now used for storage, would be converted to make space for the new apartments.

The application, put forward by Very Rev Canon Brian McGinley, wants to make better use of a garage behind the grade II-listed church to help pay for running costs.

The 190-year-old building is the city’s largest Catholic church.

A planning statement said: “The overall effect is of a busy city centre church that has evolved over nearly two hundred years and continues to change and adapt to the liturgical needs of a culturally diverse parish.

“As part of the commitment to the People of God, as the Mother Church of Worcestershire there is an ever present need for the buildings within the site to be contribute to revenue costs if possible.

“The use of the old school building as garaging when there is an existing large car park on site clearly is not its best use.

“This scheme intends to bring a small amount of residential accommodation for rent, with ownership retained by the parish.”

The building which has been used as a garage and for storage was previously a school block.

The new flats would not affect the church, in Sansome Place in Worcester, or the majority of the church site.

The plans can be viewed via the planning section of Worcester City Council’s website. Consultation ends on November 6. The application number is 19/00760/FUL.