An anonymous benefactor has spent £150,000 to stop five homes being built in the shadow of one of Shropshire’s most historic churches.

The land behind King Street, near St Laurence’s Church in Ludlow, will now be used by the town’s civic society, church leaders and town council officials for community use.

Ideas already suggested include creating a tea garden to raise funds for church conservation and building low key almshouses or affordable housing.

Simon Buteux, chairman of Ludlow Civic Society, said a campaign has been launched to raise £75,000 to take on the garden area and he added it was hoped the money could be raised as early as Christmas.

The plans to build the homes, put forward by St Laurence Homes, had been met with outrage by locals.

But despite hundreds of objections, an initial decision to reject the plans was overturned by Shropshire Council’s strategic planning committee in February.

Developer Andrew Sheldon did not exercise his right to buy the land to carry out the development earlier this summer due to an ongoing dispute over the ownership of a boundary wall which would have been partially demolished to make way for the homes.

Mr Buteux said: “The land has been bought on our behalf by a benefactor who wishes to remain anonymous. The land was on the market for £150,000 and that’s about the amount it has been sold for.

“We now need to raise £75,000 to pay for one part of the land to run it as a garden and we will have the option of handing over the other part to build almshouses or affordable housing depending on what we decide to do.

“It doesn’t matter about the planning permission –without owning the land Mr Sheldon cannot build the homes.”

Mr Sheldon was unavailable for comment.