by Andrew Spence
Plans to convert a Methodist church in Keyingham into two homes have been approved by East Riding Council.
The plans, which include the demolition of the church’s main hall, say that part of the building dates back to the 1840s but has been “empty for some time” and could now provide “the highest standard of 21st-century living”.
The main church building, which borders Ings Lane, is to become two two-storey properties. The building is essentially to be split in half, with the northern part (referred to in the plans as “The Chapel”) becoming a five-bedroom home accessed from Main Street, and the southern half (referred to as “The Vestry”) becoming a four-bedroom home with its front door in Ings Lane.
The 1970s-built hall to the west of the church is to be demolished, which the developer says will provide outdoor space for the new dwellings.
The application site also includes Chapel Cottage in Chapel Lane, which had previously been a cafe. In August 2022, the council approved plans to change the use of the building into housing.
The recently approved application also involves the reconfiguration of the cottage’s outdoor space to provide on-site parking for the residents of the two new dwellings.
Plans explain that the demolition of the church hall building would also be in the interest of those living in the Chapel Cottage because of the proximity of the hall to their land. Vehicle access to all three properties, the cottage and the two new homes, will come from Chapel Lane.
Despite the church being out of use, the applicants explained that other places of worship were available in the village, namely St Nicholas Church and the village hall.