Residents join fight on church

More than 100 residents joined an emotive meeting to fight for the future of an historic church under threat of demolition because of dry rot.

Religious leaders have been urged to delay plans to declare the St John's Church, Dudley, redundant and work with campaigners to restore it to its former glory.

Residents who packed into the church hall last night left officials in no doubt they wanted the 168-year-old church in St John's Road, Kates Hill, to remain a place of worship.

The Diocese of Worcester is pursuing a plan to declare the building redundant after an inspection five years ago found it to be structurally unsound due to dry rot.

If made redundant, a new use would be found for the building - but officials said it was "unlikely" the church would be demolished.

The church was closed in December 2002, less than a month after the inspection. Costs of restoring the building were estimated at around £2 million.

But campaigners now say new investigations carried out by English Heritage have revealed the amount of work need not be as extensive as first thought.

Exterior repairs needed to bring the building back into use as a church are now estimated to cost around £130,000. No costings have yet been made for the interior of the building - which would have to include upgrades such as disabled access and toilets.

Campaigner Deb Brownlee, from the St John's Preservation Group, said the new findings meant restoration was possible.

"We now have two conflicting reports - the original one which said the building was unsound and the English Heritage one which says it is not in such a serious condition.

"We need more professional opinion before any action is taken to see which is right way to proceed.

"People do not want to worship in a church hall as they are at the moment. They want to worship in a church." Mrs Brownlee called for the church council, members of the diocese and the preservation group to work together - and even look at the possibility of forming a steering group to look at the matter further.

This was also put forward by Dudley councillor Shaukat Ali. The meeting had been called by Dudley's Archdeacon the Right Reverend Fred Trethewey who said officials were already trying to arrange a third party to look at the building again and make a final assessment of its condition.

John Dentith, who is overseeing the redundancy scheme, told the meeting whatever happened demolition of the church was unlikely. "Finding a new use would be a more likely option for the building whether it be for community use or commercial concern."

Plans to get the building listed are still ongoing and English Heitage has objected to the site being made redundant as they believe it to be of historic interest.