The Grade II listed building was formerly a Congregational Chapel, representing a major and outstanding work of the architect Henry John Paull, though internal alterations in the 1980s were both extensive and damaging.

The permission has seen the building, which had been standing vacant for two years, brought back into a beneficial use, enabling commercial recording to continue.

The mixed use permission that was obtained will enable ARI to provide cutting edge facilities for its students, expanding the courses on offer, as well as providing a working recording studio.

The building now includes additional studio space, production and post-production facilities.

The historical building that houses the studio has a rich history. Many of its original features still remain, such as its Flemish bond red brick, and oriel windows with cast-iron glazing.

To this day, even the Chapel’s original 17th-century style organ in Studio One remains in its original home and working order.