Gomersal church could be turned into flats if plans passed

The Grove United Reformed Church on Oxford Road, which is Grade II-listed, has been up for sale for £250,000.

A declining congregation saw the church close to worshippers and it was placed on the market in May 2022.

Now plans have been lodged to convert the historic 19th-century century building into ten apartments.

Grove United Reformed Church in Gomersal (Image: Google Street View)

The site itself includes the church building, with adjoining Sunday School and a graveyard.

In order to create a mix of one and two-bedroom apartments, minor alterations would be needed externally, including enlarging an existing window to create a doorway and reopening two window openings that had been blocked up.

A statement accompanying the plans states: “As with many churches during the 21st century and the later part of the 20th century the congregation of the church dwindled.

“An ageing congregation and then the Covid-19 pandemic, which prevented people from visiting the church, meant that by the start of 2022 the numbers visiting the church on a regular basis was not enough to keep the church open and maintained, which resulted in the building being closed and placed on the market in May 2022.

“It was clear when the building was put on the market that the high number of churches that face a similar fate in the last 50 years, meant it was highly unlikely that any new group would come forward wanting to purchase the building to use as a place of worship.

“Since then, prospective purchasers have been assessing what viable alternatives there are for the use of the building.

“There is not a need for a community hall in this area as there is the Gomersal Public Hall less than 100m to the south of this site.

“Furthermore, in the current economic climate, no organisation would be willing to take on the maintenance liability associated with the listed building without being able to generate significant income from the building.

“Currently there are no groups that could use the building in its current format that could generate anywhere near the revenue from the building to maintain it in its current state, so alternative uses have to be explored to safeguard the medium- and long-term future of the building.”

Comments can be made on the application until February 21 and Kirklees Council planners are expected to make a decision by March.

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