Free Online at www.coastalviewandmoornews.co.uk The Community Newspaper for the Towns and Villages of East Cleveland, Redcar & North York Moors, telling the real news and views of the people of our region Coastal View & Moor News Issue 111 July - August 2020
● Picture By Marc Hodgson
Council buys Loftus church as plans progress on High Street A
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n historic church in Loftus has been brought into public ownership. Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council have recently completed the purchase of the Congregational Church, located on the high street, at a cost of £47,500. The council’s intention is to renovate it into a ● Councillor Wayne business and cultural Davies, Cabinet event space which could Member for Economic stream cinema films Development and host community performances. The church, which in its later years was known as Loftus United Reformed Church, was built in 1906 by Charles Hebditch who later married there. The building closed its doors in the 1990s and has stood empty ever since. It is considered a key building in the area, with its tower marking the west end of Loftus and the entrance to the historic heart of the town. It was announced by Central Government last year that Loftus was to benefit from the Future High Streets Fund - a £1 billion pot dedicated for high streets up and down the country. This purchase will support the council's bid to reenergise and transform Loftus High Street. Earlier this year, the council also bought the Grade II-listed former Barclays Bank building, located at the heart of the Market Place, to transform it into highquality tourist accommodation and to reintroduce a form of banking or post office service to the area. Councillor Wayne Davies, Cabinet Member for
Economic Development at Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council, said: “Loftus High Street is at the heart of the local community and our vision is to transform the area into a modern market town to offer new opportunities for residents and visitors. “We want to bring the church building back into use to support the local economy. We aim to renovate it to improve its appearance and turn it into a vibrant space where people want to go and spend their time. “This is another real positive step demonstrating our commitment to Loftus and East Cleveland. We want to make sure people come and visit and stay here, we want to create jobs for local people, and for our businesses to thrive.” The next steps for the council are to make the building safe, improve the outward appearance and refurbish the inside. More concrete plans for the building will be publicised in due course. To see the council’s ambitious plans for Loftus High Street, please visit: www.redcar-cleveland.gov.uk The church was built in 1906 by Charles Hebditch who later married there. It was noted for its unusual external pulpit. In earlier years outdoor sermons could be performed, but unfortunately had to be removed a number of years ago due to it becoming dangerous. In later years it was known as Loftus United Reformed Church. The building closed its doors in the 1990s and has stood empty ever since. It was sold to a private developer who wanted to develop apartments on the site, but the property has stood empty since. The bricks of the church still bear the initials of those who contributed to its construction, showing it to be truly a community building which still has a valuable role to play.