Catholic Church's plan to transform Christ the King Parish Centre into restaurant and cocktail bar unveiled
A former parish centre could find a new lease of life as a restaurant and cocktail bar under new plans.
Proposals have been lodged with Liverpool Council’s licensing department for a change of use at Christ the King Parish Centre on Score Lane, Childwall.
The centre has two function rooms, serving around 250 people across both. A third room has hosted three large snooker tables for members over the years.
Now fresh plans have been made public to convert the site into an entirely new venue serving food and cocktails. According to details released by the city council, applicants are also keen to extend the trading hours for the sale of alcohol.
The Archdiocese of Liverpool covers the city itself and the surrounding areas including Wigan, St Helens, Southport and the Isle of Man. It is the administrative arm of the regional Catholic Church.
The Archdiocese is based in Sefton Park. The local authority’s licensing register shows terms were awarded to the venue, with the applicant listed as the Archdiocese Parish Centres Management Company Ltd.
This is linked to the wider Archdiocese of Liverpool.
This permitted the centre to open from 9am to midnight on Sunday to Thursday. Between Friday and Saturday, this was extended until 1am.
An application has now been made to retain the existing closing time but change the opening hours to 8am rather than 9am. Seasonal variations have been sought for all Bank Holidays, Christmas Eve and Boxing Day, which would allow the centre to open until 1am.
This would also include recorded music and the sale of alcohol up until the same time. Live music would cease at midnight.
Before the designs for a restaurant and cocktail bar were launched, the parish centre has been a popular location for the community. Over the years, the centre has hosted countless birthdays, weddings, christenings, communions as well as holding regular quiz and bingo sessions.
In previous years, the centre has expanded to host live music events which restarted following the onset of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020. Function rooms were refurbished in 2024 for hiring out according to the Archdiocese’s Facebook page.
A date has yet to be confirmed for the plans to go before Liverpool Council’s licensing department. Should objections be received, a final decision on the proposals may be required by a licensing and gambling sub-committee of councillors.