Under threat Marlborough church could be made Asset of Community Value
The building was due to permanently close later this year
MARLBOROUGH Town Council wants a methodist church in the town to be registered as an Asset of Community Value (ACV).
The Christchurch Methodist Church, on New Road, is used as a meeting point for numerous community groups, as well as a place of worship.
It comes after it was reported that the church had become “a burden” and was to be sold off.
The town’s community groups which use the church for meetings and rehearsals have been told that they will have to find new premises by the end of August, when the church authorities will prepare the building for closure.
'Intrinsic community value'
The town council says it is “of intrinsic community value and has been for many years”.
They say the venue “has the potential to offer an excellent and vibrant facility for the community again”, with the right investment of time and funds.
The application adds: “It is situated in a good and accessible central location, offers a good range of workable spaces that could lend to different community needs. The state of repair is in generally very good condition but in need of some modernising.”
'Only a handful of us are involved in looking after it'
A spokesman for the church previously said that it was closing because the congregation “has got older and smaller”, and that it can no longer manage the workload of managing the building “as there is only a handful of us who are involved in looking after it”.
Coping with the high maintenance of the building has become too much of a burden.
They added: “It is very sad. We are very sorry that our facilities will not be available to the organisations which use our rooms. They have been written to, meetings here will have to cease at the end of August when we will prepare the building for our exit”.
What does it mean?
A bid for ACV status is when communities ask the council to list certain assets as being of value to the community.
If an asset is listed and then comes up for sale, the new right will give communities that want it six months to put together a bid to buy it.
This gives communities an increased chance to save much-loved shops, pubs or other facilities – such as a church.
The church has been contacted for comment.