BUILDING ON SUCCESS
A TAMESIDE firm which saved a former Glossop church from possible demolition has come to the rescue of another building with problems.
John Southworth Builders of Dukinfield has just finished transforming Mount Pleasant Church and Sunday School into 14 apartments for Johnnie Johnson Housing Trust.
On Saturday they invited 1st Dinting Scouts along to help plant shrubs and landscape the grounds.
They also gave them £500 to replace a rotten floor at their headquarters.
It turned into a good day for the Scouts with Johnnie Johnson Housing handing over a similar amount.
Group Scout leader Geoff Senior said: “We are extremely grateful to both for this magnificent support and wish all the new residents of this development all the best for the future.”
The Victorian church was in a sorry state when John Southworth moved in as part of a partnership with the trust.
The roof was slipping, the front was leaning out and the whole structure was described as ‘very unsafe.’
The 14 new apartments are now split equally between the two separate buildings.
Both retain many original features such as stained glass windows and stone work.
Grant funding for the work was provided by the Homes and Communities Agency and High Peak Borough Council.
John Southworth said the company was ‘proud’ to be a part of such a magnificent transformation.
“While the project has been challenging and complex, working with the tight parameters of the site on a close knitted community we have gone above and beyond to engage the local and wider community into the project,” he said.
“This has been done through small measures such as considerate parking and offering wood for burners, to replacing damaged fencing to a neighbouring property and relocating a 98-year-old commemorative plaque.
“The hard work has paid off and we are extremely pleased the project has been so successful.”
A spokesperson for Johnnie Johnson Housing added: “We are delighted to be working in partnership to deliver such a beautiful regeneration project.
“Our donation to the Dinting Scout Group signals our commitment to helping and supporting the communities we serve.
“Mount Pleasant is an attractive development and we thank the Scouts for all their hard work in helping to make it a great place to live in.”
All the apartments include a fully fitted kitchen, shower over the bath, TV aerial and Sky HD Plus cabling and communal amenity area.
Seven apartments will be available to purchase through the Shared Ownership scheme and the remaining apartments will be available to rent.
