News
Mellish Road church eyesore call for action
Planning chiefs at Walsall Council have again asked to see action regarding the dilapidated condition of the former Mellish Road Methodist Church. The derelict building on the corner of Butts Road and Lichfield Road, on the Mellish Road roundabout, has stood empty since being sold to developers in 1992.
The council’s Development Control Committee has resolved to “proceed to take action failing the submission of a planning application” but has not indicated what form of action the council might be considering. The move follows nearly 18 years of neglect in which the current un-named owners, described only as “a consortium of local businessmen”, have been served with several emergency repair notices in order to firstly stabilise the structure and also to improve security at the vandal-plagued Grade 2 listed site.
In February 2008, the church suffered a major fire as the result of an arson attack and its structural viability further compromised. It was reported at the time that the council’s cabinet had given delegated powers to its officers to use a compulsory purchase order to bring the church building back into community use. Residents and some local Councillors have repeatedly raised concerns regarding the continuing decay of a landmark site and the lack of progress both in terms of safety and of future use.
In July of this year, the national conservation watchdog English Heritage joined with residents and Walsall Council in calling for the owners of the land to produce a timetable outlining what the future of the building would be. Recently, the Hatherton Community Group, campaigning to convert the old church into a community centre announced that it would be putting in an offer to purchase the land. Architect Ian Ritchie, who is acting for the un-named owners said: “The owners have been investigating alternative uses that would allow the retention and refurbishment of the existing building.” The resolution passed this week by Development Control, discussed separately and in private session, suggests that no alternatives are favored by the owners.
Speaking in July, Councillor Adrian Andrew, Deputy Leader Walsall Council, said: “The important thing to stress is that we are helping to arrange these talks with English Heritage and the landowner but this is not our property.
“There is a clear limit to what we can do as a council because we simply don’t own the building. However, we are talking about a landmark building that is in the centre of a thriving community and which is past by thousands of people every day.
“I think at the meeting all parties realise that action needs to happen and I’m cautiously optimistic this has helped to give the issue some sense of urgency.
“We held a constructive meeting to plot a way forward. I’m pleased to say that the landowner has agreed to go away and come back with a timetable for action to resolve the issue by the end of the year.”
Also speaking in July, Alan Taylor, inspector of historic buildings at English Heritage, said: “English Heritage shares the concerns of local residents and councillors about the derelict state of this landmark building. Together with the council we have met the owners and stressed the need for an urgent resolution of its poor condition.”
Built in 1910 with help from public donations to cover the £5,000 cost, the Methodist church closed in May 1992 after suffering severe structural problems. A substantial out-of-court settlement led to the sale of the land following claims that a Walsall Council programme to fill in old limestone mine shafts caused cracks in the church structure.