Bells may be removed permanently from Sunderland church
A Grade II-listed Sunderland church could have its bells permanently removed to allow for repairs and potential reuse elsewhere.
The planning application from the Durham Diocese Board of Finance is for St Mary’s Church, in Church Street, South Hylton.
An accompanying heritage statement notes that, due to a “declining congregation” and repair expenses, the church has closed as an official place of worship and is now in a “use seeking period”.
The most recent proposal for the building was to use it as an “arts hub for the South Hylton community”.
Against this backdrop, plans have now been lodged to remove the “full chime of eight church bells” from the church’s tower to allow them to be “repaired and sited somewhere where they will be rung”.
A design and access statement submitted with the plans adds it is “likely” that the bells will be “removed to another church” or used to train bell ringers elsewhere.
The heritage statement added that some bells had deteriorated to the point that they would “ring flat” and would have to be “recast at a bell foundry”.
It continues: “Proposed future plans for the building do not include a use for the bells, current plans from developers largely ignore them and assume they will remain on site.
“However, if they remain in situ it is unlikely that they will ever be rung, and may continue to deteriorate over time, unused.
“We propose that removing and repurposing the bells, employing specialist contractors and equipment, is the best way to preserve them and make them a part of active bell ringing again.”
A decision on the plan is expected following a consultation.