A derelict Grade II-listed church in Shaw that partially collapsed in 2019 is at the centre of a controversy, with hundreds of people opposing plans to restore it. St Paul's Methodist Church on Rochdale Road, built in 1863, has been abandoned since 1975 and is considered extremely unsafe after its roof collapsed in February 2019.
History of the building
The chapel was built in 1863, with school and nursery buildings added over the decades. In 2018, Joanne Balforth, the Methodist Conservation officer, warned that a collapse would be catastrophic because the building is near houses, a main road, and a nursery. Following the 2019 collapse, works were carried out to make the building safer, but it remains in a perilous state with scaffolding protecting the public.
Plans for restoration
Mohammadia Masjid and Islamic Centre bought the site in 2021 with plans to establish a community social and religious assembly. A planning statement says the new owners care about the building but note it is not safe to enter due to debris and potential asbestos contamination. Historical records cannot accurately map burials under the chapel floor, complicating work. The owners have recorded the front elevation and stored salvaged stonework for potential rebuilding.
Plans submitted to Oldham council include partial reconstruction of the church and Sunday School buildings, reinstatement of a collapsed gable wall, formation of a new permanent gable, repairs to structural and architectural elements, and a landscaped garden within the existing graveyard.
Opposition and concerns
The application will be considered by councillors on July 8 due to high local concern. A petition signed by 338 people raises issues including insufficient parking—only 24 spaces for up to 500 visitors—and potential overdevelopment of the site. Some objectors argue the proposal is not a faithful reconstruction because salvaged materials may not be reused. Others cite late-night traffic, the loss of Christian heritage, and the need to keep graves undisturbed. Concerns were also raised about unauthorised demolition of some parts of the site previously.
Historic England praised the applicant's comprehensive understanding of the site, including the extent of burials, but regretted that the chapel is not proposed to be rebuilt.
