St Peter's Church South Bank

[Norman_Conquest]

It is looking more likely that this beautiful old church is going to close and will be demolished if the diocese gets its way. I understand that the numbers attending mass have dwindled over the years but keeping it open is not about how many attend the mass, it is about a building that should be preserved for others to love.

St Peter's is the oldest church in the Middlesbrough diocese and was opened in 1905 to serve the local Irish families that had settled in the area. No doubt these people will have also worked and paid for its build and continued to pay for its upkeep over the years.

The church hasn't opened after lockdown and is in desperate need of money spent on it, something the Catholic church has a lot of. We allowed St Mary's Church, Grangetwon (which was more beautiful inside than St Peter's) to be demolished, we should not let it happen to this fine building.

I was once working with young offenders and we took a large group of them to visit London and to a show. During the night, I was awoken by the hotel staff and the YO's were running amock in the hotel. We had to spend the night wandering the corridors to make sure they remained in bed. The next day I was tired and grumpy and my line manager asked what we had planned. Knowing London very well, I told her we would take them sightseeing and walk the legs off them.

I put my plan into operation, and sure enough I was sickening them. We got outside Big Ben and I asked a young South Bank lad what he thought of it. "It's not as good as the Peter's Clock" came back his reply. Only South Bank people would fully understand what he meant and it certainly made me smile.

'Closure by stealth' fear as diocese considers future of 'unsafe' church

St Peter's in South Bank, which is the oldest catholic church remaining in Middlesbrough, requires substantial repairs

www.gazettelive.co.uk

 

[mercury_redstone7]

I was brought up a Catholic and remained one until my 30`s, although I no longer believe but that's another story time. However whatever faith the church is irrelevant imho.
Now the coke ovens have gone, the shipyards and the heavy industrial polluting crap. These areas that carry a tough reputation may be reborn over the years and filled with a new generation who need homes and services.
Why the Catholic church may give up the finance of the place, the building is beautiful and perhaps listed status and repurposing of the place may save the day. Middlesbrough has some beautiful churches - South Bank is part of Middlesbrough still to me.

 

[fmttmadmin]

It is looking more likely that this beautiful old church is going to close and will be demolished if the diocese gets its way. I understand that the numbers attending mass have dwindled over the years but keeping it open is not about how many attend the mass, it is about a building that should be preserved for others to love.

St Peter's is the oldest church in the Middlesbrough diocese and was opened in 1905 to serve the local Irish families that had settled in the area. No doubt these people will have also worked and paid for its build and continued to pay for its upkeep over the years.

The church hasn't opened after lockdown and is in desperate need of money spent on it, something the Catholic church has a lot of. We allowed St Mary's Church, Grangetwon (which was more beautiful inside than St Peter's) to be demolished, we should not let it happen to this fine building.

I was once working with young offenders and we took a large group of them to visit London and to a show. During the night, I was awoken by the hotel staff and the YO's were running amock in the hotel. We had to spend the night wandering the corridors to make sure they remained in bed. The next day I was tired and grumpy and my line manager asked what we had planned. Knowing London very well, I told her we would take them sightseeing and walk the legs off them.

I put my plan into operation, and sure enough I was sickening them. We got outside Big Ben and I asked a young South Bank lad what he thought of it. "It's not as good as the Peter's Clock" came back his reply. Only South Bank people would fully understand what he meant and it certainly made me smile.



View attachment 73140View attachment 73141

'Closure by stealth' fear as diocese considers future of 'unsafe' church

St Peter's in South Bank, which is the oldest catholic church remaining in Middlesbrough, requires substantial repairs

www.gazettelive.co.uk

For C of E churches the Churches Conservation Trust have taken on many redundant churches and turned them into focal points of their communities a recent success story is in Sunderland

Holy Trinity, Sunderland

Seventeen Nineteen

www.visitchurches.org.uk

The formerly redundant and empty Holy Trinity church in the run down old port area of the town has now become a hub for a community as the 1719 flagship. It is a very close parallel in many ways. But it is C of E - The Churches Conservation Trust have also been working locally at Darlington Parish Church, putting extra activity and experience into a church that is not redundant but seriously struggling - they put together a structured management plan and open up the buildings for multi purposes.
But I don't know if there are any similar organisations for RC Churches. There should be. But I am not aware of them. So many lovely RC churches have been demolished in our area as you say. But you could have added Middlesbrough St Mary's cathedral to that list. Maybe try to find out if the RC Church work with any heritage/conservation bodies. The Churches Conservation Trust have over 360 churches in their care across England.

 

[GibbosEmpire]

If people aren't attending wouldn't it be more about spending money on a historical building than a place of worship that people don't really go to anymore?

 

[Norman_Conquest]

For C of E churches the Churches Conservation Trust have taken on many redundant churches and turned them into focal points of their communities a recent success story is in Sunderland

Holy Trinity, Sunderland

Seventeen Nineteen

www.visitchurches.org.uk

The formerly redundant and empty Holy Trinity church in the run down old port area of the town has now become a hub for a community as the 1719 flagship. It is a very close parallel in many ways. But it is C of E - The Churches Conservation Trust have also been working locally at Darlington Parish Church, putting extra activity and experience into a church that is not redundant but seriously struggling - they put together a structured management plan and open up the buildings for multi purposes.
But I don't know if there are any similar organisations for RC Churches. There should be. But I am not aware of them. So many lovely RC churches have been demolished in our area as you say. But you could have added Middlesbrough St Mary's cathedral to that list. Maybe try to find out if the RC Church work with any heritage/conservation bodies. The Churches Conservation Trust have over 360 churches in their care across England.

I think councillor Bendelow mentions wanting to use it for community groups in the article

If people aren't attending wouldn't it be more about spending money on a historical building than a place of worship that people don't really go to anymore?

Would that be a bad thing and as Rob eludes to, couldn't community groups benefit from the building?

We've knocked down too many beautiful buildings in this area, we shouldn't let this be another one.

 

[GibbosEmpire]

I think councillor Bendelow mentions wanting to use it for community groups in the article


Would that be a bad thing and as Rob eludes to, couldn't community groups benefit from the building?

We've knocked down too many beautiful buildings in this area, we shouldn't let this be another one.

Does the community currently use it for anything in terms of youth, elderly, homeless people, people with disabilities, asylum seekers, mental health etc?

 

[Norman_Conquest]

Does the community currently use it for anything in terms of youth, elderly, homeless people, people with disabilities or asylum seekers?

It's never re-opened since lockdown.

 

[GibbosEmpire]

If it were funded by public funds then I'd want it to be used for community purporses more than anything, if its just going to remain a nice building to look at and dwindling numbers who attend Mass, then I don't think that justifies the funding, IF it's funded by the Catholic Church then that's their issue which I have no issue what the do with their money.

 

[fmttmadmin]

It's never re-opened since lockdown.

That is one of the first pieces of advice The Churches Conservation Trust have been offering C of E churches opening up a building for all sorts of community purposes from coffee mornings to bat nights. Concerts, gigs, U3A classrooms, Cafes, even champing (church glamping). But first you need to form a community around a building that wants to work for it. In Sunderland Holy Trinity is a hub for urban regeneration. It is a really good example to follow but will the RC Church be as forthcoming and help the process?

 

[guisborough_rob]

I’ve never been in it but that looks like a mighty fine ecclesiastical building. I agree with Alan’s OP; this building should be saved.

Can we do anything, however small, as a message board?

 

[Redwurzel]

My older relatives were not Catholics, more Primitive Methodists in South Bank, but my granny would take me the see Jesus on the cross outside the Catholic Church, when I was a little boy. From then I associated RCs with pain and suffering.

I remember how busy South Bank was then, as busy as the Boro today if not busier.

I do sometimes pass through South Bank now and there is tumble weed blowing through the streets.

 

[dorivasmiddlefinger]

Its a privately owned building, who are people to dictate what the church spends its money on?

The Church is asset rich not necessarily cash. Especially so on a diocese level. Where is this £1.5 million going to come from?

Surely if people are demanding an asset transfer then a commercial rate must be paid for the real estate.

 

[dorivasmiddlefinger]

That is one of the first pieces of advice The Churches Conservation Trust have been offering C of E churches opening up a building for all sorts of community purposes from coffee mornings to bat nights. Concerts, gigs, U3A classrooms, Cafes, even champing (church glamping). But first you need to form a community around a building that wants to work for it. In Sunderland Holy Trinity is a hub for urban regeneration. It is a really good example to follow but will the RC Church be as forthcoming and help the process?

I'd imagine the Church is a lot more reserved than the C of E hierarchy, although I may be wrong. What you seem to be championing there is everything but the raison d'etre of a working church. I can only assume you're referring to a de-consecrated building.

 

[Norman_Conquest]

Its a privately owned building, who are people to dictate what the church spends its money on?

The Church is asset rich not necessarily cash. Especially so on a diocese level. Where is this £1.5 million going to come from?

Surely if people are demanding an asset transfer then a commercial rate must be paid for the real estate.

If you google the Catholic Church's wealth, it mentions its assets and also states that its finances are kept secret.

 

[Nano]

Sounds like that would be an ecumenical matter.

 

[Marineboysmoggy]

All my family are from South Bank/ Grangetown .
As a St Peters school pupil the churches played a big part in our schooling,1st Fridays, Confession, Baptisms of sons & daughters, Weddings the list goes on.

So sad really that things have reached this stage.

 

[Cogeur_le_Conq]

It is looking more likely that this beautiful old church is going to close and will be demolished if the diocese gets its way. I understand that the numbers attending mass have dwindled over the years but keeping it open is not about how many attend the mass, it is about a building that should be preserved for others to love.

St Peter's is the oldest church in the Middlesbrough diocese and was opened in 1905 to serve the local Irish families that had settled in the area. No doubt these people will have also worked and paid for its build and continued to pay for its upkeep over the years.

The church hasn't opened after lockdown and is in desperate need of money spent on it, something the Catholic church has a lot of. We allowed St Mary's Church, Grangetwon (which was more beautiful inside than St Peter's) to be demolished, we should not let it happen to this fine building.

I was once working with young offenders and we took a large group of them to visit London and to a show. During the night, I was awoken by the hotel staff and the YO's were running amock in the hotel. We had to spend the night wandering the corridors to make sure they remained in bed. The next day I was tired and grumpy and my line manager asked what we had planned. Knowing London very well, I told her we would take them sightseeing and walk the legs off them.

I put my plan into operation, and sure enough I was sickening them. We got outside Big Ben and I asked a young South Bank lad what he thought of it. "It's not as good as the Peter's Clock" came back his reply. Only South Bank people would fully understand what he meant and it certainly made me smile.



View attachment 73140View attachment 73141

'Closure by stealth' fear as diocese considers future of 'unsafe' church

St Peter's in South Bank, which is the oldest catholic church remaining in Middlesbrough, requires substantial repairs

www.gazettelive.co.uk

My mam & dad got married there.

I'm from a mixed marriage. My dad a proddy dog from Grove Hill and my mam a left footer from Upper Branch Street, South Bank.

 

[dorivasmiddlefinger]

If you google the Catholic Church's wealth, it mentions its assets and also states that its finances are kept secret.

How much do you think it would take to maintain all the buildings, pay clergy, fund missions and step in where government fails. Of course you can’t do what Middlesbrough council have done and spend all your reserves leaving not a pot to **** in.

Perhaps you think the holy father is sat on a pile of hoarded gold coins like a goblin

 

[BlindBoyGrunt]

St Peter's is the oldest church in the Middlesbrough diocese and was opened in 1905

This surprises me because Middlesbrough diocese includes York and Hull.
I was told recently that a lot of the new Polish population are moving to South Bank, are they not using the church?

 

[Norman_Conquest]

How much do you think it would take to maintain all the buildings, pay clergy, fund missions and step in where government fails. Of course you can’t do what Middlesbrough council have done and spend all your reserves leaving not a pot to **** in.

Perhaps you think the holy father is sat on a pile of hoarded gold coins like a goblin

I believe you are pulling obstacles out of the air that don't exist and don't feel you have read the article attached or if you have, you haven't read it properly.

It is going to take up to £1.5 million to make all the repairs but it wouldn't cost that to make the building watertight. I would expect funds to come from the local diocese,

The priest who covers St Peter's is already in place and covers St Anne's and St Andrew's Churches.

Who mentioned the government and why would they get involved but I dare say the church would be eligible for the government's heritage funding. Could they also make a Lottery Funding application.

The church is a Grade 2 listed building which is defined as a building or structure that is "of special interest, warranting every effort to preserve it".

A Listed Building is one that is recognised as being of national importance. Buildings with listed status are recorded on an official register called The List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest. Buildings listed on the register are legally protected from being demolished, extended or significantly altered without special permission from the local planning authority.

Quick Google regarding funding for Grade 1 listed buildings - We give grants towards the repair and conservation of listed buildings, scheduled monuments and registered parks and gardens. This includes project development actions which enable repair or improved future management. Our grants under this scheme are intended to reduce the risk faced by some of the most significant historic sites in England, as shown on the Heritage at Risk Register. We focus our grants on those sites which are most in need of repair and where, without our grant, a project would not be able to go ahead. This scheme was formerly called Grants for Historic Buildings, Monuments and Designed Landscapes.

This surprises me because Middlesbrough diocese includes York and Hull.
I was told recently that a lot of the new Polish population are moving to South Bank, are they not using the church?

Sorry, I might have been misleading there, it is the oldest Catholic church remaining in Middlesbrough.