'Nationally significant' 222-year-old baptist chapel near Dudley seeks permission for new roof

A ‘nationally significant’ baptist chapel in the Black Country is seeking to replace its leaking roof.

Coppice Strict Baptist Chapel in Caddick Street, Coseley, wants to replace its slate roof, saying that water ingress could damage its historic interior.

The Grade II listed building was constructed between 1797 and 1804, and is said to have been largely unaltered since that time.

The church has now applied to Dudley Council for planning permission to replace the roof.

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Architect Jonathan Davey, acting on behalf of the church, described it as “a building of both national and regional significance.”

He added: “It is an important local landmark and makes a distinctive contribution to the character of the Coppice conservation area.

“It is part of the social and cultural heritage of the Black Country, and is an outstanding example of a 19th century non-conformist meeting place.”

He said the interior, with its original pews, panelling, doors and ironmongery, was of particular interest, and there were concerns that water had already entered the building.

Mr Davey acknowledged that the scale of the proposed works was significant.

“This will inevitably alter the appearance of the building, at least in the short term,” he said.

He said the church had sought to mitigate the impact of the works by using natural slates that closely resembled the existing tiles, and replicating all the construction details.

“The proposed works will not result in any harm to or loss of any historic features, neither will they have an adverse impact upon the architectural character or significance of the heritage asset.”

Mr Davey said the church had looked into the possibility of carrying out localised repairs, but these would not provide a permanent solution and would not be acceptable from a conservation perspective.

“Water ingress has already occurred, and if the roof is not replaced, its condition is likely to deteriorate further resulting in long-term harm or loss,” he said.

He added that the existing slates could not be reused as they had previously been coated with bitumastic sealant which could not be removed.

Mr Davey said the work was necessary to preserve the building, and would not result in the harm of loss of any historic features.

“While it is proposed to utilise modern materials, existing details will be replicated and the new slates will closely resemble the existing tiles,” he added.

“On this basis, there will be no impact on the character or significance of the listed building.”

The proposals will now be considered by Dudley Council’s planning department.