PLANS for a new church are being put in place after it was decided last week that the current, Grade-II listed church, would be demolished.

Last week, Oxford City Council decided that the Church of the Holy Family, based on Cuddesdon Way in Blackbird Leys, would finally be demolished and replaced with a new church, after four years of debate.

The original church, built in 1965, was listed as a grade II building due to its unusual heart-shaped plan and rare hyperbolic paraboloid roof - however, this roof had been leaking extensively and was set to cost over £1.5 million to repair.

Church of the Holy Family Graphic

Church of the Holy Family Graphic

Read here: Grade-II listed Blackbird Leys church to be demolished and rebuilt

Now, new graphics of what the new church will look like have been revealed.

The church should be built in two years.

The church should be built in two years.

As well as a new church, the approved plans mean a new community centre and 21 affordable homes will also be built in the area.

Plans for the new church, surrounding community facilities and properties, have been made in partnership with the council and its development partner Catalyst, who are helping manage the multi-million pound Blackbird Leys regeneration.

Not all Blackbird Leys residents, however, are happy with the plans for the new church.

The current church - a grade II listed building. Picture: Ed Nix

The current church - a grade II listed building. Picture: Ed Nix

The original 1965 church

Nikki Bishop wrote on Facebook: “Why do they have to make new churches so ugly?

“The one they are demolishing was bad enough and now they are just going to build another boring ugly brick monstrosity.”

Another resident, Doug James, added: “I honestly think you could do way better than what I can see; we have to live with this for the rest of our lives.

“Give God and us a place we deserve, not this - back to the drawing board I say.”

Oxford City Council voted to demolish the current church on Cuddesdon Way last week.

Oxford City Council voted to demolish the current church on Cuddesdon Way last week.

Reverend Heather Carter, however, defended the new plans, admitting that although she too did not like the plans initially, they ‘grew on [her] enormously’.

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She said: “For three years running we have had a stall out on the Leys Fair asking passers-by what they would like to include in a new church build and we have used a lot of their ideas in pulling that together.

“Although we have heard from a number of people they do not like the new design, people just don’t like change and it is tricky to knock down something that has been in the community for so long - it is painful and it is emotive.”

Computer generated graphics of what the new Church of the Holy Family will look like in Blackbird Leys.

Computer generated graphics of what the new Church of the Holy Family will look like in Blackbird Leys.

The demolition and rebuilding of the church, and the new homes, is set to take place within the next two years.

Reverend Carter added: “I think it will be an exciting new forward for the estate, with a useable space that we can work with.

“I am hoping that once the new building is there and in full use, they will see how much it can be an asset to the community, being used seven days a week - not just on a Sunday, or not at all, as it was with the old derelict building.”

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