A fire-damaged Grade II-listed Victorian church in Morley that has stood derelict for over 15 years is set to be auctioned this month with a guide price of £47,500.
St Marys in the Wood United Reformed Church, located on Commercial Street near Morley town centre, will feature in BTG Eddisons Property Auctions’ live-streamed event on 30th September.
Constructed between 1876 and 1878 on a medieval church site, the building was sold to a private developer in 2008 after closing as a place of worship. Two years later, the property suffered severe fire damage in 2010 and has remained untouched ever since.
The site has previously attracted development interest. In 2012, Leeds City Council approved full planning permission and listed building consent to restore the structure into 18 apartments, along with four houses on Troy Road. While that permission has lapsed, the historical support from English Heritage, the Victorian Society, and Morley Town Council establishes a clear precedent for residential conversion.
“This is an unusual property, particularly with its low guide price of £47,500, and the previous planning permission for 18 apartments definitely gives prospective buyers something to consider when looking at its potential,” said Chris Jackson, associate director at BTG Eddisons Property Auctions.
“The permission has now lapsed, and any new proposals would need to go through the planning process, but the fact that the site has previously secured support for a residential scheme is significant,” Jackson added. “We expect the combination of the low guide price, the site’s location close to Morley town centre, which itself is undergoing major improvements with over £24m of regeneration projects underway, as well as its previous planning history, to generate interest from developers and investors.”
Bidding details and property information for the 30th September auction are available online via BTG Eddisons Property Auctions.
