Formby Day Centre Plans Approved for St Jerome’s Church Hall 2026

Key Points

• Planning permission has been granted on 13 October 2026 for the former St Jerome’s Church Hall, Greenloons Drive, Formby.
• This is in relation to planning application reference number DC/2026/01382 which was made on 18 August 2026.
• Permission has been granted for a change of use to multi-purpose building, mostly used as a day centre with catering and other indoor recreational facilities.
• The development, as quoted in Southport Today, is connected with Little Pegs and described as a family hub including toddler play, family café and parties.
• As per Southport Today, the facility will cater to 17 families per session.
• The decision was published by Formby Bubble on 15 October 2026 in the news item “New Chapter for Former St Jerome’s Church Hall in Formby as Plans for Day Centre Are Approved”.
• The address of the development is at St Jerome’s Church Hall, Greenloons Drive, Formby, L37 2LX.
• As per Sefton Council’s Planning Record, the decision is described as “granted with conditions”.
• Also part of the former St Jerome’s site are the church, presbytery and former social club where the former parish centre or social club provided around 4,970 sq ft of single storey accommodation.

Formby (Liverpool standard) October 16, 2026 — Sefton Council has approved plans to bring the former St Jerome’s Church Hall on Greenloons Drive back into community use as a day centre and multi-use family facility.

The decision, recorded on 13 October 2026, permits the change of use of the former church hall from a church hall associated with the former St Jerome’s Church to a multi-use facility predominantly operating as a day centre. The approval also covers catering facilities and other indoor recreation activities.

As reported by Formby Bubble, the former St Jerome’s Church Hall is now set for what the publication described as a “new chapter” after Sefton Council granted planning permission for the building.

The approved application, DC/2026/01382, was submitted on 18 August 2026 and relates to the hall at Greenloons Drive, Formby, L37 2LX. Planning Signal listed the proposal as a change of use from Use Class F1(f) — a church hall associated with the former St Jerome’s Church — to Use Class E(f), a multi-use facility predominantly operating as a day centre, supported by catering facilities under Use Class E(b) and other indoor recreation activities under Use Class E(d).

Sefton Council’s planning record, as indexed by Town Crier, shows that the application was decided on 13 October 2026 and was “granted with conditions”.

Which Business Is Behind the Day Centre Plans?

As reported by Southport Today, the approved scheme is linked to Little Pegs, which plans to operate the former church hall as a family hub. The publication reported that the facility would include toddler play, a family café and parties.

Southport Today further reported that Little Pegs’ plan for the former St Jerome’s church hall was approved by Sefton on 13 October and that the venue is expected to host 17 families a session.

The planning application itself describes the proposed use more formally as a multi-use facility predominantly operating as a day centre, with catering and indoor recreation uses. It does not, in the publicly indexed planning description, identify the operator by name.

The connection to Little Pegs is therefore reported by Southport Today rather than stated in the planning description quoted by Planning Signal.

Why Was the Former Church Hall Available for a New Use?

The application relates specifically to the former St Jerome’s Church Hall, rather than the former St Jerome’s Church building itself. Planning Signal described the hall as having been associated with the former St Jerome’s Church.

The wider St Jerome’s site on Greenloons Drive has previously been marketed by Fitton Estates. Its property listing described St Jerome’s Church as a central-plan building of approximately 5,231 sq ft, with an adjoining two-storey presbytery of about 1,330 sq ft and a former parish centre or social club providing a further 4,970 sq ft of single-storey accommodation.

Fitton Estates’ listing said the former parish centre or social club included a large main hall, parquet flooring, a stage area and natural light, and suggested that such space could be suitable for assembly, teaching or recreation. It also noted that the presbytery could be suitable for adaptation as offices, administration space or a day centre, subject to planning.

The newly approved application concerns the church hall, and the permission authorises its conversion to a day-centre-led multi-use facility.

What Exactly Does the Planning Permission Allow?

The permission allows the building to be used as a multi-use facility predominantly operating as a day centre.

According to the application description recorded by Planning Signal, the approved use comprises:

• A day centre use under Use Class E(f).
• Catering facilities under Use Class E(b).
• Other indoor recreation activities under Use Class E(d).

Town Crier’s planning listing records the same proposal and states that Sefton Council decided the application on 13 October 2026, granting it with conditions.

Sefton Council is the local planning authority responsible for determining planning applications in Formby. Its website explains that changes to the use of land or buildings may require planning permission, and that applications are considered through its planning process.

When Was the Decision Made and Reported?

Sefton Council’s decision was recorded on 13 October 2026.

Formby Bubble published its report on 15 October 2026, stating that Sefton Council had granted planning permission for the former St Jerome’s Church Hall on Greenloons Drive.

Southport Today reported the development on 16 October 2026, describing the approved scheme as a Little Pegs family hub with toddler play, a family café and parties.

What Conditions Apply to the Approval?

The publicly available planning listings identify the decision as “granted with conditions”, but the detailed wording of those conditions was not set out in the search results reviewed for this report.

Sefton Council’s planning portal is the official source for the full decision notice, including any conditions attached to the permission. The council says details of planning applications and decisions are available through its online planning applications service.

Under Sefton Council’s published guidance, planning applications must include the necessary supporting information and fee before they can be progressed, and interested parties are usually given at least 21 days to make written comments.

How Does This Fit With Other St Jerome’s Plans?

The day-centre approval is separate from another recent planning application at the wider St Jerome’s site.

Formby Parish Council’s weekly planning list for 20–26 April 2026 recorded an application, DC/2026/00620, for a change of use from a place of worship to a children’s gymnastics centre at St Jerome’s Roman Catholic Church on Greenloons Drive.

Planning Signal also records a later application, DC/2026/01249, submitted on 23 July 2026, seeking to vary a condition of planning permission DC/2026/00620, which had been approved on 6 July 2026, in order to extend opening hours at St Jerome’s Roman Catholic Church.

Those applications concern the church building, whereas the newly approved DC/2026/01382 concerns the former church hall.

What Does the Approval Mean for the Greenloons Drive Area?

The decision means the former hall can now be brought back into use as a community-facing facility, subject to the conditions attached by Sefton Council.

The approved description indicates that the building would not operate solely as a day centre. It may also provide catering facilities and indoor recreation activities, giving the operator flexibility to use the space for different family and community purposes.

For the immediate Greenloons Drive area, the practical effect will depend on the final operating arrangements, including opening hours, access arrangements, parking and any conditions imposed by the council. Those operational details were not included in the publicly indexed application summaries reviewed for this report.

Background of the Development

St Jerome’s Church Hall sits on Greenloons Drive in Formby, within the L37 postcode area. The application site is recorded in planning listings as St Jeromes Church Hall, Greenloons Drive, Formby, L37 2LX.

The building was formerly associated with St Jerome’s Church. The wider site includes the church, presbytery and former parish centre or social club, according to property marketing material published by Fitton Estates.

The application for the hall was submitted on 18 August 2026 and sought permission to change its use from a church hall to a multi-use facility predominantly operating as a day centre, with catering and indoor recreation uses.

Sefton Council determined the application on 13 October 2026 and granted permission with conditions. Formby Bubble subsequently reported the approval on 15 October, while Southport Today reported the Little Pegs connection and proposed family-hub use on 16 October.

Prediction: How Could This Affect Formby Families?

For Formby families, the approval could create an additional indoor venue for young children and parents, particularly if Little Pegs delivers the toddler play, family café and party provision reported by Southport Today.

The reported capacity of 17 families a session suggests a relatively contained, session-based operation rather than a large-scale commercial leisure venue. If those arrangements proceed, families may see regular bookable play sessions, café use and children’s parties at the Greenloons Drive site.

The approval may also help bring a vacant or underused former community building back into active use. However, the extent of any local impact including traffic, parking, noise and demand for nearby services will depend on the final conditions, operating hours and how frequently the facility is used. Those matters were not detailed in the publicly available planning summaries reviewed for this report.