A FORMER Southampton bingo hall could become a church if plans are approved by civic chiefs.

New Century Bingo Hall in Shirley closed its doors after 22 years due to the pressures of the Covid pandemic.

The hall on Shirley Road has now stood empty since the first UK lockdown.

But that could all change after plans were submitted to Southampton City Council.

Covenant Church has proposed to change the use of the hall from bingo to a church for its 400-strong congregation.

The Covenant Church is currently based in Swaything, but says it has been searching for a new home due to its growing size.

The church currently meets in a converted warehouse that that was transformed for parishioners in 2008.

The Swaything lease expires in 2023.

The church provides a number of services and clubs including pensioner support and meal services, early years provisions, youth activities, and a community cafe.

The cafe also offers counselling services for pre and post-natal parents and healthcare, a creche, family matters, debt guidance, as well as an adult education centre, drug and alcohol abuse help workshops, food bank and soup kitchen, and after-school clubs.

The congregation sees residents from across Southampton and beyond attending with members from Eastleigh, Chandler's Ford, Hedge End, Portsmouth, Winchester, and Bournemouth.

All of these travel to the Swaything location.

The church plans to open from 9.30am to 11pm on Monday to Saturday and from 9am to 11pm on Sunday.

At the Shirley site, there are 25 car parking spaces.

A decision is yet to be made on the plans.

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