An expert on historic buildings has condemned church leaders who want to demolish Bingley's Mornington Road Methodist Church.

Matthew Saunders, secretary of the Ancient Monuments Society said he was immensely frustrated and exasperated by the church's leadership decision to seek permission for its demolition.

He said: "It is a very, very impressive church more outside than inside because of the ravages of time. It's a handsome, big-boned 19th century church with a great spire.

"These spires are of finite stock and will never be seen again. I have a sense of despair and exasperation at its proposed destruction. It smells of retreat and we shall certainly be investigating.

"The money is there to save it but the problem is that the Methodist church has a self-denying ordinance which means it won't accept money from the National Lottery's Heritage Lottery Fund which has helped restore other similar churches across the country."

The minister of Mornington Road Methodist Church, Reverend David Johnson, is to explain why he wants to demolish it at the next meeting of the Better Bingley Campaign.

Chairman Philip Smith said: "I have been approached by the minister who is desperate to get this approved by everybody.

"Chris Leslie, Shipley and Bingley Labour MP, is looking to me to put it, as part of Bingley's heritage, into the conservation scheme. I think he is against demolition by trying to incorporate it.

"The vandalism is getting to the stage where the meetings won't be able to take place. I hate to see any old building knocked down but I have seen it go from a beautiful interior to the most disgusting condition. They have not maintained it for 30 years and the cost of restoring it would be £1.5 million,'' he added.

Donald Wood, former chairman of the Better Bingley Campaign, said: "Numerous offers have been made to do something with it and they have all come to nothing.

"It would be better to face reality and pull it down and build something which would properly replace it. Times have changed and people are not churchgoers anymore."

Mr Smith added: "I hate to say it but I agree with Donald."

Bingley councillor Jim Flood said: "We could end up with a Grade Two listed ruin.

But Keith Yardley, owner of Five Rise Private Hire, said he was completely against the demolition which would remove one of Bingley's best known landmarks.

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