SELLING a disused Methodist church and converting it into a four-bedroomed home will boost a £300,000 scheme to develop a church project in Nidderdale.
Shaw Mills Methodist Church, near Bishop Thornton, had struggled for years to remain open, with a congregation of only five or six. It closed in July 2001 and has been empty since.
The Methodist Church has applied to Harrogate Borough Council planners to turn the building into a house. The application will be considered at a planning meeting on Tuesday.
Proceeds from the sale will help fund the Pateley Open Door Project, described by Methodist superintendent minister the Reverend David Barker as a "radical and exciting scheme" to develop facilities for Pateley Bridge and Nidderdale.
In a statement, Mr Barker said that despite strenuous efforts to save Shaw Mills Church, it fell victim to a big decline in membership.
The open door project involves building an extension to Pateley Bridge Methodist Church, providing a lift and toilet facilities, as well as redecoration and a new heating system.
Already, the church supports a youth work project known as The Connection. It is part-funded by the Rank Foundation, providing drop-in facilities for youngsters.
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