I have followed the campaign relating to St Marys with much interest.
Many residents will be aware that the Morley Borough Independent Councillors on the Planning Committee rejected the planning application for the church because of concerns relating to highways and loss of amenity relating to the hotel block. They deserve credit for the serous approach they adopted and the decision they reached after hearing about all the relevant aspects of the application.
Cllr Shirey Varley also deserves credit for maintaining the church and its associated heritage for many years and her attempts over the last few years to turn the site over to Morley residents as a Heritage Centre. Unfortunately, despite her best efforts, lottery and heritage funding was refused perhaps because of the initial £200,000 repair bill that came along with purchasing the property.
Much has been said about the sale of the church but I understand that the property was offered for sale through an estate agents but that purchasers were reluctant to purchase it because of the £200,000 repair bill associated with it. This process was open to anyone who had an interest but I am told there was little interest from anyone during this period.
The important principle as far as I am concerned is that the building is retained and the graveyard remains undisturbed. It is always possible that without a progressive approach the Church remains under attacks from vandals. It would be regrettable if such attacks led to the need to demolish the building as we will all lose out if the iconic skyline that includes St Marys is changed because of a failure to act positively.
I am interested in the community campaign to save the building but I hope that their actions so late in the day - which follows the valiant but unsuccessful work from Shirley Varley and her team to deliver this building to the community - are not doomed. Now is the time for plain speaking and to come up with realistic alternatives. It is not a time to play fantasy politics which will do little to protect the building and the graveyard in the long run.
The public meeting next week - organised by my colleague Cllr Terry Grayshon - is a welcome opportunity to explore a realistic alternative and I hope residents will attend and make their views heard.
Mr. Finnigan, you say "I am interested in the community campaign to save the building but I hope that their actions so late in the day - which follows the valiant but unsuccessful work from Shirley Varley and her team to deliver this building to the community - are not doomed".
ReplyDeleteBut I laugh at the above, I have never heard YOU or your CRONIES trying to save the church, except when a few election brownie points are afoot. And do not delete this just because somebody talk't aboot the trooth
Many thanks for your comments.
ReplyDeleteIm afraid your wrong on this one. I actually helped Shirley Varley with her attempt to have the church handed over for a heritage centre and set up a meeting with a group in York to explore the funding opportunities avaialable. We also met with teachers at Bruntcliffe High School gain support for the proposal as well as arranging for the feasability study to be conducted on the building. My collegue Cllr Judith Elliott worked valiantly on the project and was the first councillor to lodge an objection on this planning application, call for a site visit and to arrange to speak to local residents about their concerns. My MBI collegues on Morley Town Council rejected the planning application and my collegue Cllr Terry Grayshon arranged the recent public meeting.
You might find it difficult to accept but we have put more work into this project than most and as you say Im only talking "aboot the trooth".