Dozens gather to discuss listed church subject to plans

The site of the Grade-II listed building has been the cause for much debate in recent months as the owners look to push through development plans.

Some residents are worried that the plans would see development on top of an existing graveyard at the front of the church, however a planning agent has said that the graveyard would be refurbished and accidental damage to the church would be repaired.

READ MORE: Developer speaks out after Oldham church plan backlash

At the meeting on Sunday (September 8), residents gathered to discuss the application at the function room of The Cartshaft pub, just around the corner from St Paul's church on Rochdale Road.

Dawn McAll, who organised the meeting, said: "I organised the meeting because there’s a lot of misinformation going on in Shaw – a lot of blaming of different parties, I needed everybody on the same page."

She said that residents are voicing their concerns about the plans as they are committed to preserving and protecting the graves situated at the St Paul's site.

Residents agreed at the meeting that they are committed to protecting the existing graveyard (Image: Newsquest)

Ms McAll said: "All the people that are buried there are ancestors of Shaw Methodists.

"The most important thing for me personally is to retrieve ownership of the corner where the graves are.

"The graves at the front are the important people of Shaw and they need to be preserved."

St Pauls Methodist Church has been vacant since the mid-1970s and fell into disrepair while under the ownership of the Methodist Church and was later partially demolished for safety reasons after it began to collapse.

Oldham Council has confirmed there is an ongoing investigation into the current owners over work allegedly done on the site without permission.

As it is a Grade-II listed building there is strict legislation in place meaning that the new owners must seek permission before beginning a number of works planned.

The building was partially demolished after a roof collapse in 2019 (Image: Newsquest)

Part of the building is already being used for worship by a local mosque with a planning application submitted on behalf of the new owners outlining plans to build a new gable, partially rebuild some of the building and restore graves and open a peace garden as part of a mosque and community centre.

While some residents are sceptical over the plans which have been submitted and of the alleged work done without permission, Don Hobson, agent of the planning application, stated no graves would be removed or built over on the site. 

He said he understood that confusion has come from the wording on documents within the original application, which stated graves would be 'cleared' and a new car park would be built. 

However, he insisted that 'cleared' was referring to the restoration of the graves and removing overgrown, invasive weeds that have begun to grow in them. 

During the meeting, Ms McAll said: "We're not letting anyone touch these graves, no matter who owns it - I'll chain myself to the fences if I have to."

St Paul's has been closed since the mid-1970s (Image: Newsquest)

Part of the plans propose to restore parts of the building and open it up as a community centre, which one resident, Susan Turner, proposed could serve as a museum to the history of Shaw.

Ms Turner said at the meeting: "We could do with a nice museum to show Shaw was the richest town in England at one point.

"We can't let history go like that."

The application on Oldham Council's planning website has received more than 150 responses, which largely oppose the plans.