A VICAR in Giggleswick has urged North Yorkshire Council to approve a planning application to convert a hall at St Alkelda’s Church into a home.

The Rev Julie Clarkson, vicar of Settle, Giggleswick and Rathmell with Wigglesworth, has written a letter to the council that says the conversion of the parish rooms will pave the way for a sale and raise much-needed funds for the church, which was built in 1612.

According to her letter, the number of groups wanting to hire the parish rooms for meetings has fallen, with just Giggleswick Parish Council and a local Brownies group using it until recently.

Rev Clarkson said the church now generates no rental income from the parish rooms and they have become a “drain on our resources”

She added: “Sadly due to under use and a lack of investment the condition of the parish rooms is deteriorating and is badly in need of attention and maintenance, neither of which the church in Giggleswick can afford.

“St Alkelda’s church itself, being a grade 1 listed building is very much dependent on the sale of the parish rooms in order to help maintain it and to further its work and ministry in the community.”

The church had put the parish rooms on the market for community use at an asking price of £225,000 but there were no takers.

A previous bid to convert the parish rooms into a home was refused by the council. This was due to the proposed loss of an entrance door to the early 17th-century part of the building. However, this door is being retained in the new application.

North Yorkshire Council will decide on the plans at a later date. More details can be found about the application on the council’s planning portal using the reference ZA24/26026/LBC.