Community group fights to save Victorian chapel

A Victorian chapel earmarked for demolition could be saved by a community group.

Ryton Cemetery Chapel was named as one of seven buildings Gateshead Council planned to knock down as part of cost-cutting measures.

Volunteering group Brighten Ryton objected to the plans and suggested it could run the site as a community asset, to see "the beautiful building preserved".

Labour's Chris Buckley said the council was working with the group to try and find a way to bring the chapel back into use.

The chapel is located in the centre of Ryton Cemetery, which was built in 1884 and is a Commonwealth War Graves site.

The council said it previously used the building for storage but no longer needed the site, which is vacant.

It added the chapel was dilapidated and "structural issues with the roof" meant a great deal of investment would be needed to make it safe.

Buckley, who represents Ryton, Crawcrook and Stella, said the building had been formally declared "surplus to requirement".

"Reducing the number of buildings we manage cuts our exposure to the risk of vandalism, anti-social behaviour and the cost to the council associated with management and maintenance of vacant buildings," he said.

He added if the community group took on the building as a community asset it would become responsible for its upkeep, restoration and remedial work to make it safe.

Brighten Ryton's chairman Aidan Lawson said the heritage group was "keen to see the beautiful building preserved".

He added: "[We] have yet to get a look inside or understand what the problems are behind our council's decision that it should be demolished so soon after they have spent a considerable sum making good the damage caused by vandalism."

The group expects to gain access to the building some time in November to assess its state.

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