A town centre church is still for sale, nine months after being put on the market.
St Michael the Archangel in West View, Letchworth, permanently closed in October 2020 due to facing expensive repairs after a routine inspection raised safety concerns about the building.
The church is a prominent structure, situated at the junction of West View and Broadway, at the southern end of Broadway Gardens.
It was only dedicated in 1967, but the fabric of the building has been beset with problems for years.
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A St Albans diocese parish profile says the building, designed by Laurence King - an architect known for his work in post-war church design, "was largely experimental in design and use of materials".
It said: "The 10-sided space is ‘held’ together by six panels of stained glass that used a non-traditional method to fix the glass.
"Inspections of the building prove inadequate materials were used during construction; for example, the copper roofing is thinner than the copper specified in the original drawings and the building has leaked from the outset."
The church closed in December 2019, following the dire building inspection report, and this closure was made permanent by the Diocese of St Albans in October 2020.
Just for investigative works, £80,000 was needed, and the prospect of raising funds diminished by the impact of lockdown on church income.
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The church was put up for sale in August last year, and is still on the market for £500,000.
It can only be used for church or community purposes, not for residential use.
The sale will be made subject to covenants which include "not to use the property for any illegal or immoral purpose or any purpose that is offensive to the principles and practice of the Christian faith", the listing says.
It continues: "Many of the church’s original interior features of interest remain in situ, but the property is in need of repair and upgrading.
"Demolition of the church would be viewed as regrettable by the council’s conservation officer and Letchworth Heritage Foundation. Accordingly, an appropriate use is sought for the present building. Such use may or may not include the parish hall and parking area."
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