Yahoo News 'A real shame' - Cost of repairing Northumberland Victorian chapel deemed "unviable"
Further details on plans to demolish a Victorian chapel and replace it with affordable housing have been unveiled.
Housing association Karbon Homes first revealed its proposals to build eight new one-bedroom flats on the site of the Ebenezer Chapel in the West Wylam area of Prudhoe earlier this year. All eight homes will be available for affordable rent.
The housing association say the current building, which dates back to 1875, is in such a such a state of disrepair that the work needed to bring it back into use would make any scheme on the site financially unviable. But local residents are dismayed at the potential loss of a historical asset to the town and West Wylam.
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The church closed in 2015 due to dwindling congregation numbers. Initially, the plan was to extend the church and convert it into four two-bed flats and one one-bedroom flat while retaining the structure and external façade of the chapel to protect its heritage.
On Monday, officials from Karbon hosted a public-drop in event at the Manors Extra Care Scheme in Prudhoe to engage with residents on the proposals. However, not everyone was convinced.
Bill Hind commented: "It is a shame because it is the only part that is left of the original West Wylam. There's nothing else left.
"It would be better off if it was renovated for the community to have. It's a nice building right on a bus route."
Another resident, who asked not to be named, added: "It's a very important old building because of the history, and it is the last of its kind in Prudhoe. I don't think the type of accommodation that is being offered is what is needed. Are there not other locations that are available in the town?"
Zoey Hawthorne, assistant director of development delivery at Karbon, defended the proposals.
She said: "I have spoken to residents today and they said if the developments looks like our designs when it is finished they would be delighted. It has taken us five years to get to this point.
"We just couldn't make it work. The chapel was going to be empty for another five or six years.
"It looks a lot better than it is. There are no good foundations, there's rot and there are structural problems. It's a liability rather than an asset.
"There would be massive costs involved in getting it up to standards. We want to put something back, we're putting more money into the scheme and the homes will be 100% affordable.
"It's really exciting to get to this point after what has been a really challenging five years."
The director added that bricks from the chapel could be used in the new development in a bid to preserve some of the history. It is hoped a planning application could be submitted next month, with a view to getting builders on site in the next financial year.
But Russ Grieg, who runs West Wylam's Miner's Lamp community hub, remained unconvinced.
He said: "It's disappointing that they haven't looked at other viable alternatives. I get the need for housing, but when they're all going to be one-bedroom flats it doesn't really accommodate people who need overnight carers or have other family that might want to stay over.
"I think losing the Ebenezer is losing part of the community. Methodism in Prudhoe has a longer history than the Church of England or the Catholic Church.
"When you come into the town from the East, it is such an iconic building."
Mr Grieg has previously campaigned to purchase the building as a community asset. Asked about the cost to repair the building, Mr Grieg continued: "To be honest, when it was put up for sale we carried out a structural survey and there was a lot of issues. It would have taken a lot of money to put it right.
"To us, it has more value than just having to be financially viable. Once it's gone, it's gone. It's a real shame - there's lots of other sites more suitable for housing."
