Safety fears over arson-hit church in Walsall
A worried councillor fears someone could get killed if a derelict Willehall church building ravaged by arson isn’t demolished.
The vandal-hit St Edmund Gennings in Forest Gate, New Invention, has stood empty for five years after the church closed and the condition of the building has deteriorated.
But things took a turn for the worse in April when 25 firefighters were called to tackle a huge fire that gutted the building.
Ward councillor Adam Hicken said it has continued to be targeted by vandals but fears the unsafe structure could collapse, killing anyone inside it.
In February last year, Walsall Council gave the thumbs up to plans to build 26 apartments on the site and that permission remains valid but, to date, no work is believed to have begun.
Councillor Hicken said: “St Edmund Gennings was a well-loved church that served the residents of New Invention for 48 years and sadly closed in 2015.
“It has been left abandoned ever since and has been a target for vandalism by youths ever since.
“It is such a shame to see the church in such a bad condition.
“It was a well-loved asset by the community and its closure came at around the same time as the local Methodist church was also forced to close its doors.
“It is unfortunate that this has become a centre for vandalism and the recent arson attack is sadly one of many such occurrences.
“I have concerns regarding the safety of the building after the most recent fire. Much of the building is of a prefab design from the 1960s and having large amounts of wood is obviously a fire risk.
“Although it will be sad to see it go, it appears as though the building is now in a bad state and could be dangerous.
“With so many youths in the area looking for something to do, I’d hate to find out that they had gotten trapped inside and injured or killed.”
A spokesman for Walsall Council said: “The planning approval gives the applicant three years from the date of the decision to implement the residential development.
“It will be a matter for the applicant to decide if they wish to construct the approved development.
“The land and the buildings related to this particular planning application are not within the ownership of the council.
“As concerns have been raised an officer will visit the building to assess whether this is a dangerous structure requiring further action.”
Agents representing TCL Structures, who are behind the apartments plan, have been contacted for comment.
