A PLOT of land that includes an empty church has been sold at auction for £700,000.

The plot of land in Sandbeds went under the hammer at an online property auction earlier this week, and sold for the guide price.

The Church of Christ the King, between the Leeds Liverpool Canal and Bradford Road in Sandbeds, has been empty since 2006 – when it shut as part of a wave of Catholic Church closures.

Last year, a planning application to demolish the church and build 13 houses on the site was submitted to Bradford Council by Chris Phillips.

Those plans, which included a mix of five bed, four bed, three bed and two bed houses, were approved by planning officers last month.

The auction listing highlighted that the site is a short distance from Bingley, and pointed out that planning for a residential development has recently been approved.

It adds: “A disused church currently occupies the site and will require demolition to make way for the street.”

The buyer has not been disclosed.