Harpur Hill church may close unless volunteers back plan for community venue

A Buxton priest and her congregation is praying good Samaritans all over town can intervene and help save a crumbling Harpur Hill church from the threat of closure, and turn it into a hub for the whole community.
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St James’ Church, on Harpur Hill Road, was built in 1911 on a site already used for worship since 1876 – but rapid deterioration in the fabric of the building means it will require a minor miracle if it is to survive many more years.

Reverend Liz England, the team rector-in-charge for local churches, said: “St James’ was built with stone donated by the Buxton Lime Company and it was expected to last 50 or 60 years, never this long. A lot of the walls and ceilings are now crumbling and damp is coming in.

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“Since I started in the job three years ago, we’ve been looking at ways to repair and temporarily fix some of the problems, but the building has been closed for long periods due to the pandemic, and in that time its condition has got worse.”

St James Church has served Harpur Hill for more than a century but its future is now in doubt.St James Church has served Harpur Hill for more than a century but its future is now in doubt.
St James Church has served Harpur Hill for more than a century but its future is now in doubt.

The church is undergoing regular health and safety checks and is still hosting monthly services, weddings and funerals but the worrying state of the building is prompting big questions over its future.

Rev England and members of the church now need help to bring in experts who can provide some of the answers.

She said: “The church has a congregation of 11 very committed people, but they are more mature in age and no longer able to give the time and energy which this needs.

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“Some people have said it should be knocked down, others say it can be repaired at a cost of hundreds of thousands of pounds. It could be knocked down for a new building, or be rebuilt from the same stone. We just don’t know. There is some hope we can save it but we would have to bring in architects and surveyors to be sure.

Reverend Liz EnglandReverend Liz England
Reverend Liz England
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“We’re hoping to form a new team of volunteers who can apply for grants and look at options to change the site into more of a community venue. There are lots of new houses in the area but nothing for the community to hold jumble sales, parties and meetings.”

The first step in that process will come on Friday and Saturday, April 1 and 2 from 11am to 2pm, when the Buxton parish team will be holding two open days for people to visit, find out more about the situation, and vote for their preferred course of action over tea, coffee and cake.

Rev England said: “I’m really keen for it to stay open in some form and excited for people to get involved. It’s their land and their church, but it mainly needs people who are committed to it.

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“We could make the decision to close as soon as that weekend. If people vote for it to close, then we’ve got our answer. If they vote for it to stay open but we don’t have enough volunteers to help, that will be an answer as well.”

The church has a small, aging congregation who cannot safeguard the building long-term.The church has a small, aging congregation who cannot safeguard the building long-term.
The church has a small, aging congregation who cannot safeguard the building long-term.

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