St James Church Handed Back to the City-God ‘elp Us

Here we go again. It was handed back by the Chairman (how many chairmans, can one man be) of the Churches Conservation Trust, Loyd Grossperson the Heritage marauder of Liverpool’s World Heritage Site.

The CCT have owned it for decades.
It is reported that this marks a milestone. Well Isay reported.
It is said this marked the first milestone on the road to a £16m regeneration project at St James In The City church, in Upper Parliament Street.
The Toxteth chapel is thought to be one of the world’s earliest surviving examples of a church supported by cast-iron columns.
Built between 1774 and 1775 by Cuthbert Bisbrowne, it served Liverpool’s West African, Caribbean and American communities, including many slaves.
But it has been owned by the Churches Conservation Trust (CCT) for the past 29 years. http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2009/10/st-james-church-liverpools-heritage-at.html
The congregation had to move out in the 1960s because of plans to extend the M62 into the heart of the city.
Yesterday, trust chairman Loyd Grossman officially handed the building back to the Bishop of Liverpool, the Right Reverend James Jones.

Mr Grossman said: “I have been chairman for almost three years now and one of the first things I did was hold a meeting in St James to listen to the various plans people proposed. http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2009/11/loyd-grossman-lectures-us-on-heritage.html
“I think a huge amount of progress has been made in three years. We are very lucky we have got to this wonderful stage, where St James is going to be returned to use as a place of worship and to be a focal point for the community.“St James In The City is an historic church of global and national significance. We believe historic churches should be protected for future generations by bringing them back into the heart of community use.
“The bold and exciting plans from the Dioceses of Liverpool do just this.” http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2009/04/english-heretics.html
The parish’s vicar, Rev Neil Short, said the first major piece of renovation will be to replace the church’s ailing roof. http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2009/04/mad-hatters-tea-party-at-st-james.html
His vision for the church also includes building a new block next to the centuries-old church containing offices, apartments and community facilities and should help pay for the restoration.
It was feared thousands of bodies would have to be exhumed from the cemetery to make way for the block, but other options are now being looked into.
Mr Short said yesterday: “It feels absolutely brilliant to take ownership of the church because we will be able to maintain the structure of this building.
“We will see this building in its original glory but we will also be able to refurbish it and make it suitable for the 21st century.”
He added surveys on the roof will be done shortly, and the parish is applying to a host of bodies for grants to fund the work.
picture and quotes courtesy Liverpool Daily Post http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-news/regional-news/2010/05/21/historic-church-handed-back-to-liverpool-ahead-of-16m-regeneration-project-92534-26490355/
Who fail to mention where the money is to come from.

So the Church as property developers are still pushing ahead to knock a block of flats next to this church.

And to think Bishop Jones is the Chairman of Liverpools Stop the Rot campaign.