Britain’s church heritage in jeopardy

Jan 7 2008 by Peter Elson, Liverpool Daily Post

The dire plight of a Wirral landmark reflects a far wider threat to the nation’s fabric of parish churches. Peter Elson reports

Some years ago, an acerbic wit quipped that the only reason for parish churches now was that they were useful landmarks when giving directions.

It’s a deeply distressing and sarcastic comment on the plight of these churches which, besides their religious significance, were also formerly the heart of massive social support systems for their communities.

Nothing characterises this downward spiral of faith and society in Merseyside more starkly than the tragedy that has engulfed the once magnificent Oxton Congregational Church.

Hailed as the “gateway to Birkenhead” because of its lofty position at the entrance to the town, this commanding ecclesiastical building is worthy of the accolade even now in its derelict state.

Such is its superlative build quality in dressed red sandstone, even vandalised and suffering accelerated decay, the work of master masons’ attention to detail and decoration still shines forth.

The Congregational Church is beautifully fitted to its site and is designed in a slightly unusual, but memorably arts-and-craft style, and Grade II-listed by English Heritage.

No modern replacement building for any use on this site, at the junction of Oxton and Balls Roads, could possibly match its sheer quality, impact, suitability or attractiveness.

Yet the current depressing state of this building, which should be cherished by even a secular community, is merely one example of decline followed by many others all over Merseyside and the Wirral, if not the country.

Having lost their original use, finding a new role for these churches becomes a nightmare for all those concerned at their fate, even if they are much modified to survive as no more than the kind of local landmark referred to above.

The building has been further tarnished as the scene of a tragedy, in May, 2006. Christopher Davies, 23, who broke in through a window with two friends after a drinking session in town, fell to his death from an interior staircase.

Such terrible incidents make it all the more crucial to stabilise and secure the church’s long- term future. Even knocking it down is not a cheap option.

But, in spite of Herculean efforts by the Oxton Society, a Wirral Council officer and other interested parties, the Congregational Church has continued to deteriorate while its future hangs in the balance.

“Although this saga has been going on for 10 years, really the problems have come to a head over the last four years,” says Patrick Toosey, chairman of the Oxton Society, a conservation pressure group, with 800 members.

“Originally, the church was put up for sale when the Congregationalists’ regular attendance had fallen into single figures and its continuation was untenable.

“Unfortunately, the first and most preferable bidder, the Wirral Christian Centre across the road, was gazumped by a developer, who did absolutely nothing but stripped the interior and flogged off the contents.

“Instead, that initial developer sold it on to a second developer and they in turn sold it to a third, an Irish group, who I must say came up with a brilliant scheme for converting it into 23 apartments. English Heritage gave permission for residents’ parking in the crypt and council planning permission was granted.

“Everyone was very excited and we thought we’d finally cracked the problem.

“Then three surveyors gave it the once-over and two of them said the sums did not add up to make the scheme financially feasible. So everything halted again.

“Wirral Council has been very sympathetic and David Ball, the regeneration manager, has worked like a Trojan to see if a pot of money can be found to tip the project into financial viability.

“Now the Irish developers have bailed out and tried to auction the church through Venmore Partnership, Liverpool, but it failed to reach its reserve price of £500,000 (falling short by £150,000). However, the planning permission for apartment conversion still stands.

“It would have been marvellous and entirely appropriate if Wirral Christian Centre had bought the church, a perfect fit for their activities.

‘This would have ensured the church continued to be maintained and retain its religious role. I’ve no idea if that organisation would reconsider.”

Oxton Congregational Church is the key to the “health” of this urban area and an £8m regeneration proposal.

Already opposite this site, the arcade of shops and the former Birkenhead Squash Club have been cleared for redevelopment.

Although planning permission was granted for a mixed shops and residential scheme, fears over the housing market’s future have stalled progress.

Such is the looming impact of the church that any surrounding development on these crossroads will follow its lead, either for good or bad.

“There is another cleared site opposite awaiting redevelopment, but I feel the momentum has gone backwards over the last few months and it will be jolly difficult to restart it in this area,” says Patrick.

“The whole situation breaks my heart as the Congregational Church dominates the scenery and is crucial to the area. Even surrounded by buildings, rather than being on the edge of town, it remains the gateway building to Birkenhead.”

The very form of churches means much imagination is needed when considering new, alternative uses.

Patrick had talked to Wirral Council about the Congregational Church’s conversion into a sports centre, such as the successful Awesome Walls climbing centre, which occupies St Albans, a Grade II-listed former 19th-century Gothic church at Atholl Street, off Liverpool’s Dock Road.

“That idea did not work, because as well as the Liverpool climbing centre, there is one near Chester. The market is satisfied and we were told it could not sustain a third one,” he says. “We’d support conversion into a community centre, if the exterior could be preserved, but a core problem is that the church just falls outside the Oxton village conservation area, so there is not the same planning back-up.

“I do feel pessimistic, but remain convinced this is an irreplaceable building. They did not put it up in five minutes and, like so many of our feature buildings, once gone, it cannot be replicated.

“I pray to God that we can do something. As these landmark buildings disappear one by one, we’re all impoverished by the lowering of our landscape’s quality.”

It is indeed deeply depressing that, having created no buildings of note in at least the past 50 years, Birkenhead is not able to secure the future of one of the best already in its midst.

peter.elson