Plymouth Brethren church seeks permission for new north Leeds meeting hall
Plans have been submitted for a new church meeting hall on the outskirts of Leeds.
The Ashley Gospel Hall Trust has applied to build a one-storey meeting hall and associated car park on land at the corner of Wetherby Road and the East Leeds Orbital Route (ELOR), opposite The Wellington pub and next to the M&S service station.
The proposed building would be used by the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church (PBCC) for worship gatherings of between 30 and 40 members. According to planning documents, services would take place twice a week, on Sunday mornings at 6am and Monday evenings at 7pm, with no use of the site outside those hours.
In supporting statements, the applicant says the PBCC community has “grown and expanded” into areas including Alwoodley, Scarcroft and north Leeds, leading to increased demand for worship space. It adds that members currently travel to existing meeting halls in Bramhope, Headingley and Horsforth, which are said to be “becoming overcrowded”.
The statement continues: “This means that these members of the community are currently not catered for. The community therefore has a clear defined need for a new, purpose-built Meeting Hall in the Leeds 17 postcode.”
Planning documents also address access and transport to the site, stating that members typically travel together as family groups. The statement says: “The Brethren community places a strong importance on family life. In keeping with this, young adults live at home until they marry, and families spend much of their time together. Therefore, when attending these times of worship, families would travel together as a single family unit, often in a car where walking is not feasible.”
The proposed site is currently an undeveloped grassed area containing a pond and surrounding vegetation, with around one-third of the land designated as Green Belt.
Access would be taken directly from Wetherby Road via an existing dropped kerb, which the applicant proposes to retain. Members attending the meeting hall would mainly approach the site via Red Hall Lane or Whinmoor Lane, the documents add.
The Plymouth Brethren Christian Church is part of the evangelical Christian movement and originated in Plymouth in the 19th century. It claims to have around 50,000 members across the UK, Australia, New Zealand and the Americas, and is known for maintaining a low public profile.
The plans are currently under consideration with Leeds City Council, with a determination deadline set for Friday, February 13, 2026. Any comments on the proposed plans are to be submitted by Friday, February 6, via the council’s planning portal.