Condemned, Empty for Four Years and Sold for £205,000: A Former Methodist Church Could Make Way for Nine Homes

• Fordhouses Methodist Church in Wolverhampton closed in March 2020
• The 90-year-old building was condemned after a partial roof collapse exposed asbestos
• It sold for £205,000 the previous year
• A developer plans nine homes after an earlier 13-home scheme was rejected

A former Methodist church in Wolverhampton that has stood empty for more than four years could be demolished for new houses, the Express & Star reported in September 2024.

Fordhouses Methodist Church on Stafford Road served its congregation for about 90 years before closing in March 2020 because of falling numbers. Since then its condition has deteriorated sharply. The council condemned it as unsafe after a partial roof collapse exposed asbestos.

The building sold for £205,000 the year before. Developer Meronford has now proposed demolishing it and building nine two- and three-bedroom semi-detached and terraced homes. An earlier plan for 13 homes was rejected as too intensive for the area.

The application describes the site as “currently in a semi-derelict state having ceased functioning as a methodist church over four years ago” and says “The proposal is to repurpose this derelict site to provide low to mid-range housing.” According to the report, it had been uneconomic for the church to stay open or reopen.

The story shows how quickly an empty church can lose value. A building that closed in 2020 was, within four years, unsafe, contaminated and suitable only for demolition, and it sold for a modest sum. Its value now lies almost entirely in the land and the planning permission a developer can secure.

Jamaican congregations with buildings that are closed or rarely used should not leave them to decay. Termites, leaks and storm damage can turn a repairable church into a liability within a few years. If a building cannot be used, it may be better to secure it, lease it or sell it while it still has value, and to settle any trust restrictions on the land in advance.

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