PLANS have been unveiled to demolish a landmark Victorian church and replace it with a modern place of worship to house a number of growing congregations.
An application has been submitted to Durham County Council on behalf of Trinity Community Church in Blackhill, Consett, to redevelop and extend the Blackhill Methodist Church.
The proposals include the demolition of the existing worship hall, vestry and the building of a new place of worship, while keeping the former Sunday School, which is used as a community hall.
The building on Blackhill’s Durham Road was built in the Gothic style in 1871-1872.
The new church is intended to serve the existing congregations of Blackhill Methodist Church and Shotley Bridge Methodist Church, which has already merged with is sister church after holding its final service in Shotley Bridge in April 2013.
St Andrew’s United Reformed Church will hold meeting next month to decide whether it wishes to join forces in the plans, while the Blackhill Baptist Church is understood to have withdrawn from taking part.
In its application to the council, Gradon Architecture says the client for the scheme is the Local Ecumenical Partnership - formed when four churches decided to merge two years ago.
Gradon Architecture was initially approached to consider St Andrew’s URC Church and the Blackhill Methodist Church for redevelopment. Following a lengthy feasibility study it settled on the latter.
Blackhill Methodist Church steward David Armstrong said: “It may be difficult with one of the churches dropping out, but we are believe in our church this is the right way forward and we still want to press ahead with the plans.
“We are having fundraising and other events to get this put into place.”
Reverend Stuart Earl, superintendent of the North West Durham Methodist Circuit, said: “People have prayed hard and worked hard and are extremely hopeful that this new building will give an added impetus to their ongoing work in the community.
“And that it will give a dedicated worship space as well as space for other community groups that are centred on the chapel.
The new church is intended to be a focal point on the street while not beiung “overley dominating”.
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