A MONTH after announcing its move to Kidlington the Diocese of Oxford has put its headquarters in the city up for sale.

Diocesan Church House in North Hinksey has been put on the market by Carter Jonas estate agents and is worth somewhere in the region of £2m as an office block.

The diocese had outgrown the 8,054sq ft property and opted to sell it, along with its adjacent car parking space, in favour of a move to Bannister House at Langford Locks business park. Diocesan Church House was officially put on the market on Wednesday [21/10].

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Planning permission could be granted to make the property more suitable for other uses, including as a large home.

Carter Jonas agent Jon Silversides said: “Given the range of potential uses it is almost impossible to give a value. Convert it to residential and it could be one figure, but use it as an office and it will be another figure.”

The diocese is currently trying to get planning permission for an extension to the office block to add another few thousand pounds to the value.

Carter Jonas’s advert for the property describes it as sitting ‘in an attractive part walled and landscaped environment’.

It states the building has a mixture of cellular and open plan accommodation and has toilets, a kitchen and a lift.

A big part of the diocese’s need to move was that it now runs a multi-school academy trust.

Of the 13 schools, nine are in Oxfordshire and this created extra demands for space in Diocesan Church House.

North Hinksey resident John Clements, a parishioner at nearby St Lawrence Church, said some people in the area were concerned about the sale.

The 68-year-old said: “St Lawrence Church is next door to Diocesan Church House and as a church organisation the diocese has been a good neighbour. So of course people are concerned about what would replace the diocese and whether or not they would be equally good neighbours.

“I am not sure what sort of organisation could move in or what the site could be used for.

“But I think people are concerned that another organisation might come in and do something completely different.”

Mr Clements, who has lived in the area for 10 years, said he appreciated the diocese had to move to find more space.

He said: “I do understand that it is a space concern and I would think that the new headquarters will benefit the diocese.

“It is up to the diocese where it goes but we are concerned about the ambience of the area.

“It is just a bit of a waiting game.”

David Mason, Director of Glebe and Buildings, said: “We impose restrictive covenants on any buildings, for example, vicarages, when we sell them, if there is a church attached. (In this case St Lawrence’s.) The covenants mean that the building cannot be used to cause any nuisance that would affect the adjoining property.”