Could £140k former church be answer to your prayers?
BUILDING IDEAL FOR A CONVERSION PROJECT
A DERELICT church in South Derbyshire could be yours for just £140,000, although you’ll need plenty of on top of that for a conversion project.
The former Swadlincote Methodist Church, also known as the Wesleyan Chapel, in West Street, which comes with its own graveyard, has been closed for many years.
Now, the building and adjoing graveyard are set to be auctioned by Bond Wolfe Auctions at a guide price of £140,000. They failed to sell last year, but are up for grabs once more.
The church could potentially be converted into 10 to 12 apartments and currently has permission for eight apartments, so has the potential to make money.
The former church hall is being marketed for conversion into five town houses.
When South Derbyshire District Council officers approved the church and church hall plans in November 2019, it was stressed that only a conversion away from community use would be profitable enough to save the historic buildings.
They begrudgingly agreed that this was at the expense of losing much of the historic character within the buildings, including the organ, altar and pews.
The original church is believed to have been a chapel built by
Wesleyan Methodists in 1816, which was subsequently enlarged in or around 1823, and further extended in 1837, then it was subsequently rebuilt in 1863.
The site also includes a small burial ground which planners believe contains 16 or 17 gravestones, with the number of burials even greater in number. The church auction will take place at 9am on Wednesday, October 20.