Small chapel conversion in the Lake District

[LakesDylan]

Good morning everyone.  Here's my introduction!

 

I purchased a grade 2 listed, small old Presbyterian chapel 4 years ago.  I live in the village where the chapel is, walk past it everyday and can see it from my garden, so thought it would be a wonderful opportunity to own and preserve.  

I have planning permission to convert it into a 2 bedroom dwelling, which was granted in February 2021, the same month as I took voluntary redundancy from my employer.  I hope to do a lot of the "grunt" work myself and have begun by removing the concrete rendering on the inside of the building, but will no doubt need to employ tradesmen to do the complicated works.

The most pressing issue to date has been how to incorporate a new waste water treatment plant.  The original planning application (which I inherited at the time of purchase) had a new sewage treatment plant in the adjacent farmers field, which whilst agreeable, was not ideal for me or the farmer.  So I tried locating the treatment plant in the curtilage of the chapel.  But this proved too difficult with a rather full graveyard.  Finally, I have verbally agreed to connect to the neighbours existing septic tank, which is shared with another 2 properties, so long as I pay to upgrade the system to a new, compliant, sewage treatment plant.  The only outstanding issues are that...

1. All the neighbours want a formal agreement for the ongoing maintenance of the system between us and

2. The neighbour with the treatment plant in their garden wants an agreement in their deeds (as there is with the other 2 neighbouring properties) that details the access.

I'll post the specific query in the appropriate forum, but that I'd detail it here as well.

 

I'm sure that there will be many other challenges along the way, but I'm pleased to be making progress, albeit, very slow at the moment.

 

If there's anybody else with experience of converting chapels, I'd be grateful to hear any advice they have.

 

[ToughButterCup]

Welcome. Looks like a very interesting project. Look forward to seeing and reading about your progress.

If you are ever going to be round Junction 33 (Lancaster South) , PM me and drop in for a coffee.

Ian

[markc]

Hello and welcome, that looks like an awesome project.

[Dudda]

Brilliant project and opportunity. As an architect I've converted two churches. I'd definitely be looking to retain as many original features as possible. For example in one of the projects we took up all the marble altar steps and reinstated them in the same place but flat so it's a marble floor highlighting the location of the altar but it's now all flat and level. Looking at the photos I'd definitely try and reuse some of the timber and keep at least one pew someplace (along a corridor or wall for example). Things like that so it retains it's character.

[ToughButterCup]

1 hour ago, Dudda said:

... Things like that so it retains it's character.

 

Yerrrr, well guvvner, warabout the font as the laundry ven?  And the puplpit for wen SWMBO gets on'er eyeorse.... 'an the crypt for da kids wen they playup: never mind naughty corner: naughtycrypt - I like it.

[LakesDylan]

Thanks everybody.