Eastbourne church to be demolished?

A town centre church could be demolished to make way for 36 new homes.
St Andrews United Reformed Church, Blackwater Rd. 15 August 2011 E33262M.JPG ENGSNL00120110822124236St Andrews United Reformed Church, Blackwater Rd. 15 August 2011 E33262M.JPG ENGSNL00120110822124236
St Andrews United Reformed Church, Blackwater Rd. 15 August 2011 E33262M.JPG ENGSNL00120110822124236

St Andrew’s United Reformed Church on the corner of Cornfield Road and Blackwater Road has been derelict for some time and now plans have been submitted to Eastbourne council to knock it down and build a three to four storey building of 36 residential units and 11 parking spaces with an access from Wish Road and Cornfield Lane.

The buildings are not listed but date back to 1878 with additional church rooms to the northeast of the site built in 1912.

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The church has been empty after plans were unveiled for the congregation to move to the Upperton United Reformed Church in Upperton Road.

St Andrew’s was one of four churches in Eastbourne merging to form one church leaving three of the empty buildings up for development.

Central Methodist Church in Pevensey Road, Greenfield Methodist Church in Green Street and Upperton Road United Reformed Church in Upperton Road will also join together and become Emmanuel Church.

That church will be on the site of the Upperton Road church, on the junction of Upperton Road with and will involve a complete redevelopment.

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In June last year members of Eastbourne’s planning committee approved plans to demolish the late 19th century Upperton United Reformed Church in Upperton Road and replace it with a new Emmanuel Church and community facilities.

The planning application concerning St Andrew’s will be decided upon in the coming weeks.