A PLEA for help has been sent out to Southam residents in an effort to repair the damaged entrance to St James Church.
After a long battle to gain planning permission to repair the broken steps and rusted railings, the Southam Civic Ideas Forum is hoping locals support their plans to renovate the town’s ‘eye-sore’.
The steps to the church have been damaged over the last 50 years by underground drainage – eventually leading to parts of the steps subsiding and cracking. The railings to the gate entrance have also been victim to years of rust and wear and tear.
The group managed to gather £12,000 to go towards repair costs after putting out an appeal – but forum chairman Len Gale told the Observer it will take a lot more in order to have specialist work done.
He said: “We are looking at a total of around £35,000 in order to repair the steps and replace the gates. It will take specialist work from expert conservationists to repair it properly, so it is not work that can be done quickly.
“Currently the gates and steps are in a deplorable state and as they are at a prominent entrance to our town centre they are a disgrace to our community.”
The forum’s planning battle meant a large portion of their £12,000 pot had to be spent on planning, legal and design work and other costs – and now need support to reach their £35,000-£40,000 target.
Len added: “We have had to overcome a lot of obstacles just to gain permission to repair the entrance way, and now we have the go ahead, we really need residents to get behind our appeal.
“We have a lot of support from the local councils, organisations that cover all aspects of the town – and even Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, has sent us a letter of support.”
The group are also planning to commemorate those who pledge high donations with special plaques which are set to last generations on the Church site – and any other people donating will have their names inscribed on a scroll kept in the church.
Anyone wanting contribute can call Southam Civic Ideas Forum Chairman on 01926 817174, email [email protected] or mail Chairman, Southam Civic Ideas Forum, 64 Stowe Drive, Southam, CV47 1NP.
