At the beginning of 2023, Karbon Homes partnered with the Prudhoe Community Partnership to explore bringing much needed affordable homes to the site of the Ebenezer Methodist Chapel on Scales Crescent, West Wylam.
In March 2023, we consulted with the local community on our proposed plans to convert the chapel building into five affordable flats, a conversion that would see the structure and external façade of the chapel preserved, and an extension added to the west side of the building.
However, on carrying out the necessary investigations and surveys to progress the project, we uncovered multiple issues with the structure and condition of the chapel, which would require extensive and expensive structural work, should the conversion go ahead.
This, paired with the drastic rise in inflation and costs of building materials and labour, and the cost uncertainty linked to these issues leading to potentially more unseen issues as we progress, means the investment needed to move forward with our initial proposal to convert the building, preserving its structure and external façade, is financially unviable.
We understand that the Ebenezer Chapel building is important to the West Wylam community and we want to reassure you that we have worked hard to explore a range of different options for retaining the building, but unfortunately we have not been able to make any of them viable.
However, with such high demand for affordable homes in the area, we’re passionate about continuing with this project and ensuring the site, rather than being left empty, is redeveloped to bring long-lasting benefits to the local community.
We’ve been working with the Prudhoe Community Partnership to explore alternative options and have finalised a new design for the site. The new design will see the existing chapel building replaced with eight one-bed flats, all of which will be available for affordable rent.
Although we can’t retain the chapel, our intention will be to reuse as much sandstone from it as possible, dependent on its condition, and to mirror the existing brick banding detailing in the new design, as a tribute to the site’s past.
We want to hear your thoughts
We’d like to get your views on our new design, as part of a public consultation we’re holding to gather feedback from local residents.
We'll be holding a consultation event at The Manors Extra Care scheme on Adderlane Road, on Monday 17 June. Members of the local community are invited to drop in anytime between 3:30pm and 6:30pm to look over the plans in detail, ask the team any questions and leave feedback.
Alongside this we’ll also be running an online consultation, so those unable to attend the in-person event can share their views and feedback digitally. This will be open from midday on the 11 June, till 28 June.
At the beginning of 2023, Karbon Homes partnered with the Prudhoe Community Partnership to explore bringing much needed affordable homes to the site of the Ebenezer Methodist Chapel on Scales Crescent, West Wylam.
In March 2023, we consulted with the local community on our proposed plans to convert the chapel building into five affordable flats, a conversion that would see the structure and external façade of the chapel preserved, and an extension added to the west side of the building.
However, on carrying out the necessary investigations and surveys to progress the project, we uncovered multiple issues with the structure and condition of the chapel, which would require extensive and expensive structural work, should the conversion go ahead.
This, paired with the drastic rise in inflation and costs of building materials and labour, and the cost uncertainty linked to these issues leading to potentially more unseen issues as we progress, means the investment needed to move forward with our initial proposal to convert the building, preserving its structure and external façade, is financially unviable.
We understand that the Ebenezer Chapel building is important to the West Wylam community and we want to reassure you that we have worked hard to explore a range of different options for retaining the building, but unfortunately we have not been able to make any of them viable.
However, with such high demand for affordable homes in the area, we’re passionate about continuing with this project and ensuring the site, rather than being left empty, is redeveloped to bring long-lasting benefits to the local community.
We’ve been working with the Prudhoe Community Partnership to explore alternative options and have finalised a new design for the site. The new design will see the existing chapel building replaced with eight one-bed flats, all of which will be available for affordable rent.
Although we can’t retain the chapel, our intention will be to reuse as much sandstone from it as possible, dependent on its condition, and to mirror the existing brick banding detailing in the new design, as a tribute to the site’s past.
We want to hear your thoughts
We’d like to get your views on our new design, as part of a public consultation we’re holding to gather feedback from local residents.
We'll be holding a consultation event at The Manors Extra Care scheme on Adderlane Road, on Monday 17 June. Members of the local community are invited to drop in anytime between 3:30pm and 6:30pm to look over the plans in detail, ask the team any questions and leave feedback.
Alongside this we’ll also be running an online consultation, so those unable to attend the in-person event can share their views and feedback digitally. This will be open from midday on the 11 June, till 28 June.
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