Fire-ravaged church put up for auction
A FIRE-ravaged Whitley Bay church has been put up for auction after plans to redevelop it were withdrawn.
Plans to flatten Trinity United Reformed Church, on the Esplanade, to make way for housing were set to be thrown out earlier this month after the developer refused to agree its financial contribution to the borough.
But the plans were withdrawn before they could be voted on by the planning committee.
Now, the property has been listed online by Pattinson Auction, which has described it as “land and development in NE26”.
Bidding will start at £350,000, and the auctioneer describes the site as “well located along Esplanade, Whitley Bay”, adding: “The site is located a minute’s walk from the Promenade and five minutes’ walk from Whitley Bay town centre”.
The plans would have seen the derelict former place of worship bulldozed to make way for 28 flats.
Documents submitted to North Tyneside Council said the fenced-off building is “structurally unsound” and has become blighted by vandalism.
But the authority’s planning department recommended refusal for the application because the builder won’t commit to Section 106 conditions that would see it have to pay out £92,716 in total. Section 106 agreements are legal agreements between authorities and developers when planning permission is granted which oblige the developer to carry out particular works.
In this case the authority wanted the applicant to make 25% of the flats classed as affordable housing, as well as paying £2,700 towards a new allotment plot.
Meanwhile, the council also asked for £10,080 towards a play area as well as £62,500 towards primary education, which would cover the cost of five pupils.
The developer would also be expected to pay £7,000 towards employment and training and £1,000 for a litter bin.
Finally, the council wanted it to contribute £9,436 to mitigate the impact on the Northumbria Coast Special Protection Area.
However, because of the uncertainty caused by the coronavirus crisis the builder asked for these conditions to be agreed at a later date.
A fire broke out at the church on June 14. At its height, there were five crews, a command unit and two officers in attendance with smoke visible across the town.
A road closure was put in place on the Esplanade as firefighters fought flames at the front and side of the building.
The church, which opened in 1900, has been vacant since May 2017 when the building was ravaged by another fire. The council said its staff have inspected the building following the latest fire.