From the Rectory

LONGSOLE LAND  

I understand that there are all sorts of rumours going around the village about what we are up to at Longsole in Long Rede Lane so I thought it may be useful to set out what is going on.

The background to the story is the fact that we need quite a substantial amount of money to finance various important projects aimed at preserving our ancient church building. It needs decorating, which involves substantial re-plastering; it needs a heating system which doesn’t cost an arm and a leg to run; the tower which has had almost nothing done to it since the 15^thcentury needs careful stone work preservation and eventually major repairs to the tracery of the medieval window, and the spire needs urgent attention where a woodpecker has perforated it in more than one place. On top of all this to enable Church Cross House to meet regulations and be suitable for our growing youth group as well as being  viable for all sorts of community uses it needs to be slightly enlarged and have  new kitchen and lavatory facilities.

We already ask the community to support us in many different ways so having failed in a lottery bid, it was decided to sell a small piece of the land adjoining our Mission Church in Long Rede Lane to raise money. Having discussed our ideas in some detail with the residents we changed our original plans to sell two plots to one plot, for one house, on the road frontage for which we have applied for planning consent. . The land, is wholly owned by St Margaret’s and held in trust. The incumbent the churchwardens and Rochester Diocese are the trustees.  

There was never, and is not now any plan to sell or develop the whole site.

Our original application was rejected on the grounds that allotment land was being reduced, despite the fact that we had cleared and made available more sites for allotments, and that the site for the house is not now being used for cultivation.

Since then we have tried to re-apply and been blocked by a whole series of delaying tactics which have so far cost the church some £3,000. The latest being a £500 survey for reptiles on the site for which we were given 14 days notice in late December.

We are fully sympathetic with the residents who live around the proposed site, but have found it difficult to accept that one house would be an insurmountable blot on the landscape, especially as in the not too distant past there was no argument when we sold the land for two bungalows on Heath Road, and provided the land for the Village Hall. 

The trustees have been put in a very difficult position which has not been made general knowledge, as we have no wish to be seen to be  trying to unfairly force  a decision. As trustees we are bound by the rules of the Charity Commission to maintain the value of the Charity’s assets. However the facts of the matter are. When I arrived here, the Bishop told me that there was piece of land at Longsole which the Diocese believed to be worth something between £750, 000 and £1million pounds. This value was never tested. The land has been used as allotments for many years which is fine as long as the value isn’t tested. However we now have the situation where a planning application has been refused which can consequently mean that the land is now worthless.

The Charity Commission and the Diocese are not happy with the situation and may force our hands in some way.

There is no doubt that should a house be built, there is a small reduction in the amount of land available for cultivation, and we realise that during any building work there would be disruption to life in Long Rede Lane. As a church we are acutely aware that our responsibility is to all the residents of this community. But we also have a duty to future generations to guard and protect and preserve our unique ancient church. We also have a duty to the wider community who can not now use Church Cross House to its full potential without some fairly radical modernisation.

Let me re-state quite categorically there is not now and never has been, any plan to sell and develop the whole site in Long Rede Lane.

This is where we are today, you all now know as much as I do about the land and what we are trying to do. I don’t expect you all to agree with our reasoning, but I hope that you now understand where we are coming from, and what we have been, and are, trying to do.

 Nigel McGregor

PS

You will see that for the first time that those who are Welcomers, and helping with the Chalice are shown along with the Readers in the Service lists. If you are unable to be present for the allocated service will you please organise a swap with someone else on the lists with which you have been supplied.  Thanks  NM