Diocese to decide future of 1,000-year-old church

St Cuthbert's Church

A Church of England diocese is set to make a decision about whether to hold a public consultation over the future of a 1,000-year-old church.

Billingham's parish applied to close St Cuthbert's Church last year due to rising costs and falling attendance.

Friends of St Cuthbert's community group believe they have put forward a viable business plan to take ownership and continue using the building, with secretary Charles Wellington saying closing it would face "massive local opposition".

A decision to hold an open consultation or not is to be announced by the Bishop's Council of the Diocese of Durham on Monday. A spokesperson said "no decisions about the future use" of the church had been made.

Mr Wellington continued: "St Cuthbert's is more than 1,000 years old and is an object of pride and great regard for the people of the area.

"Completely closing this wonderful building would run into massive local opposition."

'Strong views'

The diocese spokesperson said the Friends of St Cuthbert's Church's correspondence indicated they did "not oppose the closure of the church for regular worship, but have strong views upon the potential future use of the church".

"Should the Bishop's Council decide to open consultation, the Friends of St Cuthbert's Church will have the opportunity to participate in that consultation and at this stage no decisions about the future use of the St Cuthbert's Billingham have been made, nor will such decisions be made by the meeting of Bishop's Council."

If the community group's plan is eventually accepted, the parish would close the church before immediately transferring it to the community group, acting in its capacity as a charitable community body.

The Friends of St Cuthbert's Church already offers a range of community activities at the church from concerts to exhibitions, displays and nature walks, alongside traditional services.

"Our business plan is 100% viable and will allow the church to continue as the heart of the town, providing heritage, culture and entertainment for the whole community," Mr Wellington said.

The group hopes to apply for heritage funding to secure the long-term future of the church.