A TEMPORARY home has been found for worshippers of a Newport church devastated by a fire.

Members of Bethel Community Church in Stow Hill will use Havelock Street Presbyterian Church in Newport for "the foreseeable future."

Plans to revamp the grade II-listed building have been formally withdrawn following the fire.

The church had submitted a planning application to fit a mezzanine floor and create a first floor auditorium as the main church hall for services, in February.

But, Newport City Council said earlier this week, following the fire on Friday the church will have to be partially demolished to make the building safe.

A decision notice stating that the planning application to revamp the church had been withdrawn has since been published.

It comes as the church revealed it will be using Haverlock Street Presbyterian Church in Newport until further notice.

A statement on its Facebook page said: “We have found a place to worship on Sundays for the foreseeable future until our building is rebuilt.

“We will meet at 3pm on Sunday at Haverlock Street Presbyterian Church Newport.”

Under the plans for listed building consent, the ground floor would have seen new offices and storage introduced, with a minor hall on the ground floor retained.

Worship and services would, meanwhile, have been moved upstairs, using the original pews and décor. The upper floor area was originally the balcony area for services, but had not been used for several decades.

The plans also included introducing a lift to provide access to the top floor, upgrading heating and lighting and redecorating the walls.

A design statement stated: “This scheme will bring back the best elements of the heritage site – timber roof, upper pews, large upper floor windows back into active public use, revealing the jewel in the crown of the building.”

The blaze started in the vacant former Zanzibar before spreading next door to the 140-year-old church.

Afterwards, pastor Andrew Cleverly said the future of the building is uncertain.

“We had been in the process of re-developing the upper level,” he said previously.

“We owned a building on the other side and sold it to raise funds to refurbish this building.

“But the damage from the fire is a lot. I fear it is unrepairable.

But he added: “The church is not the building, it is the people.”