Historic chapel's demolition set to take six weeks

WORK to demolish a much loved Victorian chapel, occupying a prominent space on a Northumberland town's main street, has begun.

- JAMES ROBINSON Local Democracy Reporter

Housing association Karbon Homes has confirmed that contractors NB Clark have been on site of the Ebenezer Chapel in the West Wylam area of Prudhoe since the start of the week.

Controversial plans to tear down the Methodist Chapel were approved by Northumberland County Council in January, despite stiff opposition from the local community. The church, which closed down 10 years ago amid dwindling congregations, will be replaced by eight one-bedroom apartments.

The chapel was built in 1874, and is one of the last remaining parts of the former West Wylam coal mining village. Much of the village was demolished to make way for a modern housing estate in the 1950s.

It is also the last Methodist Chapel remaining in Prudhoe, with several others already demolished in the past. A previous proposal for the site would have seen the building retained as part of the housing - however, following survey work, the chapel was deemed economically unviable to repair.