A house in Chester could be turned into a social club with a "clean room" for meditation, yoga and prayer.

The partially retrospective application seeks to convert the house into a "social and well being service", offering religious classes, drug, alcohol and gambling rehabilitation, educational classes and "community related issues".

Further proposed facilities include specialist counselling, recreational facilities and prayer facilities.

The revised proposals submitted by Mr S. Ali suggest the centre will provide "social and well-being services" for all age groups and sexes.

The applicant stated the centre is aimed at Chester's "South Asian, Middle Eastern and Eastern European" community, with a number of families from these communities living within walking distance of the property.

Previously attached to the Dee Miller pub on Coniston Road, the site was sold to Mr. Ali after "many years of little to no use".

The original application, which was submitted last year, was withdrawn due to a confusion on "intentions relating to prayers".

The original application was submitted last year (Nub News)

Described as "essentially the same" but offering additional clarity in relation to the quiet space being proposed, the revised version deems the quiet space as "essential for being able to provide socially acceptable services to the public".

The applicant outlined their previous statement had potentially not been "properly understood concerning prayer".

In its clarification, the revised version has assigned one room as a "quiet room" - dedicated to meditation, prayer and yoga. 

The design and access statement said: "Users will not be restricted by faith or belief, only that they use the space respectfully. 

"Its use for prayers will be limited to those visiting the centre for other purposes at the time.

"Crucially, it will be a 'clean' room, physically, spiritually and psychologically, where no other activities will take place and where people will be able to use the floor for sitting on."

Construction on the Coniston Road building has already started but is not yet complete.

The home was previously attached to the Dee Miller pub on Coniston Road (Image via: Planning Application)

He now intends to open it as a social and educational centre, with accommodation on the upper-floor for four people "on a short stay self-catering basis".

Set to be run by volunteers as a not for profit organisation, Mr Ali has also applied for charity status.

The applicant further reiterated prayer facilities will be "limited and restricted to only those present at the centre at specific times" - not for people exclusively coming to pray.

It said: "There will be no religious symbolism, idolatry, faith related signage, or imagery, other than that clarifying spacial orientation.

"It will consequently be a simple matter for staff and assistants to monitor the use of the room allocated to prayer and meditative contemplation, and ensure that individuals do not visit specifically just to pray."

The applicant also noted the increasingly frequent occurrence of centres, local authorities and shops providing space for patrons to pray, "when predetermined times of devotion occur".

Pointing to matters of diversity and catering to visitor's needs, the proposals maintain the necessity of prayer facilities, whilst acknowledging they would not "necessarily be required to mention prayers" in the application.