The future of Radstock’s historic Methodist Church was up for debate at the Town Council’s November meeting and whilst all Town Councillors seem unanimous in wanting to keep the building open for the community, there are still a lot of questions to be answered as to how it could be done.

In a bid to buy more time before the building could be potentially sold, Radstock Town Council are in discussions with the Church to try and secure a year’s lease which would give enough time to work out if taking on the building would be a feasible option. The church is due to close at the end of January.

Westfield Ward Councillor and Radstock resident, Eleanor Jackson, who is also the Secretary of the Council for Trinity Methodist Church addressed the meeting and said that whilst she was not speaking formally on behalf of the church, she would urge Councillors to start finding ways to apply for grant money as soon as possible.

She put forward that a letter of intent should be submitted between both parties, but Councillors argued that there was still plenty of work to be done before anything formal could be put on the table.

Cllr Jackson said: “First of all, the building comes with a number of volunteers who will really put their backs in to making it a success if you take it on. It is glaringly obvious that a lot of money will need to be spent on the building and we should be looking at budget.

“If the money is there and the volunteers are there, I am sure it can be successful.”

Surveys are due by both parties to highlight any costs and liabilities and so the price tag of the short term lease is not yet known.

Ward Councillor for Radstock, Chris Dando, told the meeting: “Clearly now we have to go away and identify what costs will fall to the Council. We have asked the Church to go away and think about what they would like and we are seeking assistance from a surveyor.

“There is a general sense of goodwill, as we would have hoped and expected. We have already received enquiries from people who would be keen to use the building for office space – we have met with B&NES officers this week about how we might take this relationship forward with further support from the local authority.

“Things are moving and we are making good progress, although the next session is likely to be confidential because of financial information.

“I am not convinced yet that we will be able to start applying for grants – because we don’t yet know how it is going to work, who is going to be responsible. There is more work to be done behind the scenes and we are having discussions with Big Local, who are looking to maintain a legacy in the area.

“We would hope to get a lease under discussion in the next month or so and both sides need to take legal and financial advice on what that lease may look like.”

Radstock Town Councillor Adrian Dodgson asked if previous users of the Church and its facilities had been contacted to see if they would return or continue to stay. Cllr Jackson responded that pre-pandemic there had been forty different groups using the space and new groups had been approaching to enquire as to its future.

Cllr Chris Dando added that a proper business plan would need to be put together and that perhaps funding from Big Local could help with this. He said: “This needs to stack up financially to begin approaching sources for grants. Perhaps the church building could run through a charitable trust or Community Interest Company?”

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A small working group of Radstock’s Mayor, Rupert Bevan, Cllr Chris Dando and the Town Clerk has been set up and more information will be presented to full Council when it is available.