St Saviour's: 'Church needs space'

Last updated 25 Sep 2008 13:02 0 Comments

WORSHIPPERS have accused protesters opposed to plans to replace a Victorian church of ignoring the building for years while it fell into disrepair.

Campaigners are trying to block plans to replace the old part of St Saviour's Church in Coley with a new two-storey building to house a day nursery, youth centre and counselling service.

Senior church leader, the Rev Billy Fenning, said: "It is over 20 years since the Reading Elim Church took over the building at Berkeley Avenue and saved it from becoming yet another block of flats. It now has a congregation of 250 and a thriving programme of community activities including mums and toddlers groups, youth groups, children's groups and lunch clubs."

The church does not have enough space to run as many activities as it would like and children who attend the popular Friday night youth club play football inside a specially set up net in the church (pictured).

Postman Antony Crawford, 41, who lives in Coley, takes his daughters and their friends to the youth club, and he said: "There's not much room here for the children to play about in."

Protesters have collected more than 300 petition signatures against the plans and on the Chronicle website, Dave Harney, of Church Terrace, said: "If they have the money to destroy and re-build the church I'd have thought that they'd also got the money to buy up somewhere else locally to run the facilities from."

Mr Fenning said: "We made it clear we were available to meet and talk to anyone at any time and we were somewhat surprised by the strength of feeling that has recently come to the fore."

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This article appeared in Reading Chronicle 25 Sep 08

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