A FORMER Bromsgrove church is set to be turned into offices.

The former United Reformed Chapel building on Windsor Street is set to be redeveloped into offices after being vacant for more than ten years.

The building is Grade II listed and is one of the older buildings in the area.

According to a document accompanying the planning application which has been submitted to Bromsgrove District Council the upkeep of the chapel and adjacent Sunday school buildings was ‘proving unsustainable for the former owner, the United Reformed Church’.

Essential repair work was needed to stabilise the building and keep it weather tight, but no funding was available.

The document notes: “Attendance at the URC Chapel continued to fall until 2013 when the decision was taken by the owner to sell both buildings.

“Both sites were separately marketed in the summer of that year by the same local firm of commercial agents.”

A decision notice issued by planners states: “It is considered that the use of the building as offices will help bring a workforce into the town centre which will further support the retail function through linked trips and associated retail activity.”

The current applicant, Mr Morrison from Morrison Nash, has purchased both buildings and re-established the permission previously granted for the chapel, and the Sunday School in a separate application, to proceed with redevelopment work.