Historic Leeds fire-damaged church to go under the hammer
“We expect the combination of the low guide price, the site's location close to Morley town centre... to generate interest from developers and investors”
A Grade II-listed Victorian church in Morley which has stood empty since it was badly damaged by fire more than 15 years ago is to be auctioned this month.
St Marys in the Wood United Reformed Church on Commercial Street close to the town centre, will be included in the BTG Eddisons Property Auctions live stream auction on Wednesday, September 30, with a guide price of £47,500.
Built between 1876 and 1878 on the site of a medieval church, the building was sold to an independent developer in 2008 after it became redundant as a place of worship. It was subsequently badly damaged by fire in 2010 since when it has remained untouched.
The Grade II-listed building has previously been the subject of plans for redevelopment. In 2012, Leeds City Council granted full planning permission and listed building consent for the fire-damaged church to be rebuilt as 18 apartments, alongside four houses on the Troy Road frontage.
The planning permission has since lapsed, but the scheme had the backing of English Heritage, the Victorian Society and Morley Town Council, providing a precedent for residential redevelopment of the site.
According to auctioneers, the property offers scope for redevelopment, subject to planning and listed building consent.
Chris Jackson, associate director at BTG Eddisons Property Auctions, said: “This is an unusual property, particularly with its low guide price of £47,500, and the previous planning permission for 18 apartments definitely gives prospective buyers something to consider when looking at its potential.
“The permission has now lapsed, and any new proposals would need to go through the planning process, but the fact that the site has previously secured support for a residential scheme is significant.
“We expect the combination of the low guide price, the site's location close to Morley town centre, which itself is undergoing major improvements with over £24m of regeneration projects underway, as well as its previous planning history, to generate interest from developers and investors.”
* For more details on St Marys in the Wood Church, along with bidding information and other lots in the upcoming auction, visit BTG Eddisons Property Auctions