Proposals have been unveiled to convert the former Methodist Church in Rye into a single home.
The building on Church Square has been unoccupied since June 2021. In June this year Rye News reported it was to be let out on a commercial lease for £40,000 per annum. In October last year the building was reportedly sold for over £600,000 after a lengthy sale.
There had been continued speculation about how the former church might be developed, including the possibility of a new arts centre in the town.
In proposals lodged with Rother District Council planners, the building’s conversion to residential use is described as “the most viable long-term strategy to secure ongoing maintenance and conservation of the asset.” The proposed works “seek to recover the building’s historic architectural quality by removing unsympathetic later interventions and undertaking high quality, conservation-led repairs and fabric upgrades in line with best practice and Rye Conservation Area guidance.”
Inside the building, the floors will be reconfigured, with a new central staircase and mezzanine floor. Externally, a new parking area will be created by partly removing the low stone boundary wall.
The Methodist Church was built in 1903 and originally used as a Sunday school. The congregation moved there in 1954 after their chapel was bombed in the Second World War. Worshippers moved to the St Mary’s Centre on Lion Street five years ago after an inspection found substantial costs would be needed to refurbish the building.
The plans will be discussed by Rye Town Council’s Planning and Townscape Committee on Monday 21 September at 6.30pm. The meeting at the town hall is open to the public.
You can read more about the plans here. Consultation continues until the end of October.
Image Credits: Nick Forman .