A HISTORIC former church has been identified as among the top ten most endangered Victorian buildings in England and Wales.

The Victorian Society listed the former Grade II listed Wesley Methodist Chapel in the centre of Hartlepool as at risk as part of a national campaign.

The conservationists are calling on the owners, property developers Jomast, to honour its plan to convert the Wesley Square building into a hotel.

However, Jomast insists it has carried out internal works - which was more recently open as a nightclub - and still expects to convert it into a hotel.

Every year The Victorian Society launches a campaign to identify and protect England and Wales’ ten most endangered Victorian and Edwardian buildings.

A Society spokesman explained why the chapel, built between 1871 and 1873 complete with a classical stone portico, should be preserved and criticised its owners for not doing more.

"It remains an impressive building, despite its many broken windows and the forecourt’s new use as a car park.

“The owner, Jomast Developments Ltd, was granted permission to convert the former church, previously used as a night club and leisure club, into a 49-bed hotel in 2009 but no work was carried out. A new permission was granted in 2013 but despite pressure from the council, only minimal remedial work to discharge consent conditions seems to have been carried out.

"Currently the site appears to be entirely inactive. If a substantive start is not made on the consented works by November 2015, then another consent will lapse. Jomast should invest in this prominent listed Hartlepool landmark rather than leaving it to decay further.”

A spokeswoman for Jomast rejected the criticism and said: “The article (from The Victorian Society) is misrepresentative as a high level of facilitation work has already been carried out internally, onsite.

"All planning conditions have been resolved and therefore the scheme is being progressed. The company is keen to bring this landmark building back into use."

Hartlepool Borough Council confirmed Jomast has permission to change the use of the building.

The 2014 Top Ten in no particular order are: Hammerhead cantilever crane, Cowes, Isle of Wight; Greengate Baths, Salford; Former Wesley Methodist Chapel, Wesley Square, Hartlepool; Coal Exchange, Mount Stuart Square, Cardiff; All Souls Church, Hastings; Tonedale Mill, Wellington, Somerset; Abney Park Cemetery Chapel, Stoke Newington, London; Navigation Colliery, Crumlin, Wales; Trentham Hall, near Stoke-on-Trent and Crimean War Monument, Sheffield.