Bloxwich church to be redeveloped

The Holy Ascension Church in Bloxwich was earmarked for a revamp three years ago but a revised downsized scheme has now been put forward.

The application for the Sanstone Road site has been lodged with Walsall Council and will be considered by the planning committee or officers under delegated powers in the coming months.

An initial proposal was approved but a downscaled scheme has been resubmitted as the original is not longer feasible.

Holy Ascension Church has been meeting at its current building since November 1968.

There has been little change since prompting the plans for the new-look church.

It will have a combined worship, activity and meeting area with kitchen, toilets and store space included along with cafe and welcome area.

The application put forward by agent Heather Sutton, on behalf of Rvd Roger Williams, said: "The current revised scheme is for a smaller building.

"The main reason for the change is due to the difficulty in obtaining sufficient funding for the project as originally envisaged.

"Some of the main funding bodies have now concentrated their priorities to other areas, and although the church and local community have made, and are continuing to make, great efforts to raise funds the original proposals are no longer financially viable.

"There is no historical significance to the current church building. However, the last 46 years have shown that there is a need for a place of worship serving the neighbourhoods of Little Bloxwich, Lower Farm, Stafford Road and Turnberry estate - the areas from which most of the congregation come.

"Although the church is not as well known within the local community as would be liked - hence the desire for new, improved, clearly visible facilities, it has a history of involvement with the community.

She adds: "The existing building has reached well beyond its life span, the fabric is worn out and requires constant maintenance. Insulation standards are very poor.

"The proposal is for a single storey building with pitched roofs. The scale is such that the building will not dominate its surroundings, but it is intended to have increased visual impact from Sanstone Road.

"The positioning of the new building on the site will allow the existing church to remain in use until the new church is ready."