Group hails 'huge step' towards saving church

Campaigners working to save a derelict church from complete demolition say they have managed to secure a grant of £300,000 for the project.

St Peter and St Paul's Church in Birch, Essex, has been empty and unused since 1990 and was weeks away from being knocked down in 2023.

Birch InSpire, which wants to transform the Grade II-listed building into a cafe, shop and community space, said Chelmsford Diocese had agreed to contribute 10% of the estimated £3m total cost.

A spokesman for the Chelmsford Diocesan Board of Finance said its contribution would be contingent on the success of Birch Inspire's application to the National Lottery Heritage Fund (NLHF).

"This is all a huge step forward in our mission to save the key parts of Birch Church from demolition," Birch InSpire said.

"The focus will now be on raising NLHF funding and on working to their timeframes."

The diocesan contribution was "vital" as the NLHF required match funding for a minimum of 10% of the total grant amount, the group said.

The group previously said its aim was to save the church's "iconic" spire - and that an architect who visited and assessed the site believed it could be kept along with the chancel at the other end of the building.

Plans include a "cafe with a soul" in the chancel, as well as a shop and some rentable space in the north aisle.

"Being 45 minutes' walk from the edge of Colchester, we look forward to creating a spectacular heritage destination for the residents of Birch, local villages and also of Colchester," Birch InSpire said.

In a statement sent to the BBC, the Chelmsford Diocesan Board of Finance said it was "pleased to note the progress made against the objectives agreed with Birch InSpire in July 2025".

It added that more time had been granted to the group in order to allow it to make a formal submission to NLHF for a grant.

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