Landmark deconsecrated Shrewsbury church lined up for demolition
Church leaders have applied to Shropshire Council to demolish a landmark deconsecrated building in Shrewsbury.
The Our Lady Of Pity in Meadow Close never reopened after the Covid pandemic and it was deconsecrated in May, 2024 after ‘dangerous’ structural issues were found.
Now, the Roman Catholic diocese of Shrewsbury has applied to Shropshire Council for permission to demolish the building.
The Shrewsbury Cathedral website says the building features a distinctive Italian-style campanile with diamond shaped belfry openings. It was designed by post war architect F. X Velarde and completed after his death.
Planning agent Cunliffes has told planners at the council that the church closed in 2022 initially due to the Covid 19 pandemic but then permanently due to the extent of structural cracking throughout the building. These, they say, have rendered the church building potentially dangerous.
“The church have cited that repairs to the church building are likely to be substantial and that the parish has been operating well in caring for the souls across the cathedral town of Shrewsbury without use of Our Lady of Pity in the 16 months it was closed prior to de-consecration,” the agents say.
Planners have been told that the Church of Our Lady of Pity, in Harlescott was completed and opened in 1961 as Church belonging to the Cathedral Parish of Our Lady Help of Christians and Saint Peter of Alcantara.
The agents say that the church has been closed since September 2022, and has had no usage since, being deconsecrated in May 2024.
Church leaders, being concerned about the costs of repairing the building, proposed that it should be closed permanently and demolished, with the site “relegated to profane, but not sordid use.”
They carried out a two month consultation in 2024 to allow those who’d be affected by the closure of the Church to have their views heard.
The agents conclude that the Diocese of Shrewsbury wish to demolish the Church of Our Lady of Pity as the building has been surplus to use since 2022, prior to which the building had been deemed structural unsound.
“In conclusion, the building of the former church is no longer within conditon in which it can be used safely and no longer has a use within the existing community in which it lies to justify the required repair to make the building safe again.
“If it is allowed to dilapidate any further the building could be of danger to people, vehicles and other buildings within proximity if any of it were to fall or break off during high winds or a storm.
“Due to the Archdiocese of Shrewsbury’s resources, it is deemed that demolition of the building and for the site to be reused would be more beneficial to the local community and those surrounding the site.”
Full details of the application, and the opportunity to comment, are on the Shropshire Council planning portal with the reference 25/03976/DEM.
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