THE planned residential conversion of a former Methodist chapel un-used since the Covid-19 pandemic has been given the go-ahead by North Yorkshire Council.

The chapel, with annexe, in Chapel Lane, Rathmell, which closed in 2020 and never reopened, will be converted to a two-bedroom home after the council concluded it is "no longer a valued community facility."

In a planning officer's report, it is stated that according to the applicant's planning statement: "There was a lack of parishioners in the village to justify reopening the chapel following its closure in March 2020. Those who had previously attended the Methodist Chapel continued to attend Settle Methodist Church, where weekly services had been live streamed. Following the closure, the church had received no use or requests for alternative uses of the building since its closure."

The council case officer assigned to the application also looked into whether any of the other community groups in the village still used the chapel. It was established no other groups used the facilities, a fact confirmed by a staff member of the Settle Methodist Circuit.

"It is therefore evident that use of the building has ceased since the coronavirus pandemic, and that the building is neither in use nor valued as a community asset, " continued the report.

Furthermore, there was a suitable alternative facility for worshippers in Settle and a 'number of community facilities' already in Rathmell, with the Reading Rooms and the old primary school both providing a space for community members to meet'.

The single storey, stone built chapel was built in 1846 as a Wesleyan Methodist Chapel and was extended in 1903. The main chapel space will be sub-divided to form a lounge and two bedrooms while the annexe will become a lobby, kitchen, store and shower room. There will be no changes to the outside of the building.

Meanwhile, a decision by the Secretary of State on the disputed ownership of the old village primary school has yet to be made.

Trustees of the old school, which closed in 2017 due to falling pupil numbers, had been using it as a community hub with office space. They had challenged the ownership of the school with the Anglican Diocese of Leeds and a two-day hearing at the High Court in Leeds was set for April. Instead, the two parties reached an agreement shortly before the hearing was due to take place. It is now for the Secretary of State to decide.