Legal challenge prevents Ebenezer Chapel's auction sale

The former chapel became a community hub after a £1m overhaul but was later forced to close

A community group has been granted an interim injunction to prevent the auction of a former chapel it wants to buy from Wrexham council.

Ebenezer Chapel in Cefn Mawr became a community hub after a £1m overhaul in 2008 but it shut five years later due to a lack of visitors.

It has been withdrawn from an auction following the legal challenge by members of Plas Kynaston Canal Group.

Wrexham council said it was unable to comment.

The building had been due to go under the hammer with a £100,000 guide price.

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In an email to Wrexham County Borough Council's leader, Dave Metcalfe from the canal group said it wanted to "work with WCBC" and was offering £200,000 to buy the building, a figure he said "will most likely exceed any bid in the auction".

The group said it hopes to reopen the building as an arts and visitor centre, and wants to regenerate the local economy by attracting people visiting the nearby Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, a world heritage site, on Llangollen Canal.

Mr Metcalfe said an interim injunction on the sale of the chapel had been granted pending a full hearing.

Wrexham council said it was unable to comment as the matter was in the hands of its legal department.