THE future of a Teesdale community centre hangs in the balance after it was revealed the Church of England could sell the building to benefit other church-aided schools.
Startforth Morritt Primary School was converted into a community centre by people in the village after it was closed in December 2016 and it has been run by a committee ever since.
But now the committee has been told it has no legal standing.
The problem is further compounded because while part of the building is owned by the church, newer sections are owned by Durham County Council.
The church has now applied for a Section 554 order to create a new trust for the buildings. New trusts usually authorise the diocese to sell the property and use the proceeds to benefit other church schools in the diocese.
Explaining the problem to Startforth Parish Council last week, committee member Judith Rodwell said: “We have an opinion now from a colleague of Sir Andrew Morritt, who was a high court judge, and he has said in order for the committee to do anything, it has to be assisted by members of the church.
“As a community we have no say in the matter whatsoever.”
She said the new committee had to be made up of members of the parochial church council and the church warden.
She added, however, that her group would continue to maintain the building and raise cash for roof repairs, but they could not get involved in the legal wrangle over the Section 554 order.
Ms Rodwell added: “The whole thing is much more complicated than we ever thought when we started.
“Whatever happens we can use the building for the foreseeable future.
“Even if at the end of this year the diocese win, as it has been designated a community asset, we have six months [to continue as a community centre] from when they make the decision.”
She said the committee had the support of county councillor Richard Bell who was trying to get the local authorities to hand over its share of
the building to the community.
Parish council chairman Cllr Pat Estall said Cllr Bell had already written a letter to various authorities objecting to any form of transfer of land or property to the Diocese of Leeds and confirmed his “opposition to the granting of the S554” .
Cllr Estall added: “He is in support of keeping it as a community centre and to try to sort out an arrangement with regards to the Section 554 and to see if some form of accommodation can be made in terms of the diocese.”
No one from the Church of England Diocese of Leeds was able to comment at the time of going to press.
