Villagers seeking to turn an unused methodist church into a 'village hub' are fighting a second attempt to turn the building into a house.

Freeland villagers say they want to convert it into a a convenience store incorporating a cafe, providing local services and a community space.

This is particularly critical for older people as the village shop has closed and there is a very limited bus service out of the village, they say.

The Grade II-listed 200-year-old church closed for worship in 2017.

Since then the Freeland Community Benefit Society (FCBS) has prepared a detailed business plan, raised over £5,000 for a fighting fund and secured pledges of share purchases of over £70,000 from villagers.

The FCBS has also been granted planning permission for a change of use for a shop and cafe which has recently been renewed.

However, its owners the Witney and Faringdon Methodist Circuit have still not offered it for sale.

In 2018 Edgars planning consultancy on the owners' behalf submitted proposals for a change of use to a dwelling.

It led to a protest outside the church organised by the FCBS with Freeland Parish Council among the objectors.

Chair Peter Newell said there was an ‘urgent need’ for a community hub since the closure of the church and of the village shop 20 years ago.

The objections were sustained by WODC which refused it.

Now the Methodist Circuit has made a second application to convert the church into a house.

Andy Murray from the FCBS management team said: "In spite of its public pronouncements, during all this time the Methodist Church has refused to enter into a dialogue with the FCBS."

Edgars planning consultancy did not respond to a request for comment.

A planning statement says no attempt was made to approach the Circuit to discuss buying the property and "the only obligation which applies to the Circuit is to secure the best market value for the site, which is currently considered to be a residential use.”

It says the previous consent expired without implementation and there was a “failure to make a credible business plan for its purchase, conversion and maintenance available to officers or the Circuit.”

In response FCBS says it “is absolutely not the case” that it has not approached the church for discussions about buying the church, planning permission was not implemented as the circuit did not place the church on the market, and its business plan has been available on its website since 2018.

It said: “This proposal is based upon false premises and there is no conceivable reason for the sacrifice of this unique building for a single domestic dwelling when Freeland residents are opposed and wish it to be used as a social hub for the benefit of the whole community.”

 

 

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