A plan to turn a Grade II-listed Lewisham snooker hall into a church will go ahead after recommendations to refuse it were dramatically overturned.

Council planning officers had misgivings about plans for the old Rileys on Lewisham High Street - an unusually designed former billiard hall first set up by the anti-alcohol Temperance Movement in the early 1900s.

Now the Tabernacle Global Ministries, currently based in nearby Algernon Road, will turn it into a church with seating for up to 800 worshippers.

Along with administration, the building will also be used as a community hall, creche and cafe.

Back in January, the church held information sessions at the old building and also talked about using it as a food bank.

Lewisham planning officers had warned the work would be detrimental to the listed building. But a planning committee approved the plans last night (September 11).