Plans to demolish a condemned Wolverhampton church for housing were rejected due to designs deemed “poor” by the council.
The council said the site suited community use and thought nine homes would be too many. Planners described the layout and design as poor, also feeling the asking price of £450,000 was too high. They believed the marketing was inadequate, stating they did not try hard enough to keep the church.
A fitness center wanted to use the building; the council thought that was a better option. The council wanted 18 months of marketing, but the church was marketed for only six months. They also said the gardens in new plans were too small, and the number of houses was too high.
The church closed in March 2020, with low attendance, and the 90-year-old building is now condemned. The roof collapsed, exposing asbestos, with Meronford, a developer, making the application. Last year, the building sold for £205,000. A plan for 13 homes faced pushback in 2023.
The council considered that plan too intensive and did not want to lose a key community site. Meronford said the revised plans fit the area and stated the church was not profitable. A statement said the church had been closed for four years, becoming derelict.
The proposal aimed to repurpose the site and provide housing with two or three bedrooms, ranging from semi-detached to terraced homes. This was the developer’s goal. They believed housing was the best future for the site, offering architectural benefits and helping Wolverhampton with housing needs.