St Peter’s in South Bank has been described as unsafe with reports commissioned into its structural condition by the diocese leading to repair estimates of more than a million pounds.
About 90 people, including the Bishop of Middlesbrough Terry Drainey, senior clergy and other officials were in attendance at a public meeting on Tuesday evening organised by the diocese and held in nearby Teesville, which discussed the future of the church.
Prior to the meeting, South Bank ward councillor Neil Bendelow said: “We as local councillors are extremely concerned and very unhappy with the diocese and the way they seem to be keeping the church building closed by stealth.”
Cllr Bendelow said access to the grade two listed building had been denied to community groups and organisations with the diocese previously also explaining that congregation numbers had fallen to between 70 and 80, which did not justify holding weekly church services at St Peter’s.
He referred to a meeting with the diocese held in December in which he said councillors were told the majority of the congregation were not South Bank residents and those affected were able to travel to St Andrew’s Church in Teesville to worship.
He also said it was proposed a war memorial sited in the grounds of St Peter’s be moved to St Andrew’s, although councillors had opposed this and wished it to remain in the ward, ideally at King George’s Square, a local park.
'Travesty'
Cllr Bendelow claimed the diocese was attempting to “keep any opposition to the closure quiet”. He said: “We are working hard to build South Bank as an attractive place for people to live and work and believe that the infrastructure of the area is key to this.
Closing a substantial building with such historic value such as St Peter’s, without any opportunity for other organisations to utilise the building, is a travesty.”
In a statement the Diocese of Middlesbrough said there was a “substantial” cost required to upgrade the building, which was completed and opened in 1905.
It was listening to opinions and suggestions in weighing up how to move forward, while informing the community of the present situation. No specific timescale was being worked to in terms of next steps.
The statement said: “No formal decision has been made about the future of St Peter’s. The diocese has ordered several detailed, independent reports that have taken a considerable amount of time and expense to compile. These have been made available online and publicised on the parish newsletter and website.”
A five yearly inspection report has identified various required works to St Peter’s, in Middlesbrough Road, in order to make it safe, windproof and watertight and remedy problems with damp.
This is said to include rewiring, repairs to ceilings, floors and windows, as well as doors and frames, replacing a boundary wall, fully stripping and replacing the roof, masonry repairs and cladding replacement, among other elements.
'Poor state of repair'
A suggested outline budget put the cost at £1.055m, although a figure of up to £1.5m has also been quoted.
The condition of a derelict school chapel and separately grade two listed presbytery attached to the church and previously damaged in an arson attack has also raised local concern, although these elements are in private ownership.
Demolition of the church would require listed building consent, while other potential options could be preserving it intact and handing it over to a trust or similar.
Another report prepared for the diocese and released in March last year said architecturally St Peter’s was one of the two finest catholic churches in Middlesbrough, but summarised: “The church has not been reopened for worship since the ending of covid-19 pandemic restrictions. It is in a poor state of repair, with dampness and rainwater ingress from slipped roof tiles.
“The resident population has declined in recent years and the church is currently served by one priest, based at St Andrew, Teesville. The parish priest also looks after the church of St Anne, Eston. After local discussion, the Bishop is considering closure of the church.”
It said it was the oldest Catholic church in Middlesbrough still in use, built to a high specification to serve the needs of mainly Irish workers in nearby steelworks and blast furnaces and “redolent of the town’s industrial heyday”.
‘Written the church off’
An account given to the Local Democracy Reporting Service by one person present at the public meeting said there was a “widespread feeling” that the diocese had “written the church off”.
There was reference to a lack of priests and other established Roman Catholic churches nearby meaning it was superfluous with no need for a regular mass to be held there.
Audience members stressed St Peter’s was at the heart of Catholicism in the area and a permanent closure would send out a negative message at a time when investment and growth was occurring in South Bank.
Some suggested the diocese had been inactive and should invest money in the building, perhaps seeking external grants towards the cost of repairs and crowdfunding.
Meanwhile, diocese representatives were challenged over the state of the church building, with many furnishings considered to be of good quality with the interior well-maintained.
It was said that St Peter’s, because of its size and associated car parking, could be in demand for large funerals and weddings, along with other events, with some calling for a phased re-opening.
A diocese spokesman said the meeting was well attended and it wished to express gratitude to all who came.
He said: “The meeting was conducted with great respect and honesty on all sides. People expressed passionate views, but it was a calm meeting. We will now take the opportunity to reflect on what people have said. It is important that we consider the views that were expressed on the night in depth and that will take time.”