Catholic Chuch to sell Killough parochial hall

Catholic Chuch to sell Killough parochial hall

5 August 2020

CATHOLIC Church officials have confirmed that they are pressing ahead with the sale of a parochial hall in Killough.

The Diocese of Down and Connor said while the sale of the property had been delayed as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, it is now progressing as lockdown restrictions continue to ease.

The plan by the church to sell the Castle Street building is being strongly opposed by a number of residents who say the village cannot afford to lose the hall which, they claim, was built with money donated by parishioners and cannot be sold without their consent.

A petition against the sale has been forwarded to church officials — who are also selling the former parochial house in the village — with residents opposed to the hall sale keen for public discussion to discuss the issue. 

They insist that the sale of the village hall which has been a community hub for many years cannot go ahead without local approval and are vowing to use any legal means at their disposal to oppose what they have described as the “alienation” of the Killough parish properties.

A group opposed to the sale of the hall claim that developers are “waiting in the wings” to bulldoze the property and build on the land at the rear, claiming that such a proposal would be at odds with the village’s development plan and impact on the historic Castle Street and Rope Walk areas.

In addition, residents claim that a survey found nothing that could not be easily remedied.

They also claim that after news of the proposed sale was announced last year, an architect who subsequently examined the property said it was “unsafe” and that all activities were stopped immediately. 

The ‘save the parish hall’ campaign group is now calling for an independent survey of the property and insist that the building was in use until it was pronounced “unsafe” and closed.

The group argues that senior church officials do not realise the negative impact that the sale of the hall and lands will have on the entire village, not just church-going parishioners, with members disappointed that they were not able to meet with Bishop Noel Treanor.

Campaigners say while the annexe where the kitchen is located is in a “bad way”, this particular area has not been used for many years, with local craftsmen and women willing to give their time to carry out restoration work at the building.

A spokesman for the Diocese of Down and Connor said that following a health and safety audit of the parochial hall in 2017 and a separate inspection by the Diocesan property officer in March last year, the building “was deemed unsafe for use on the grounds of health and safety”.

He also said that in March 2019 that the Parish of Bright (Killough) submitted a proposal to the Diocese to sell both the parochial hall and lands which the parish viewed as being surplus to requirements.

“In doing so, the parish sought to make provision for forward planning for its future,” the spokesman continued.

He confirmed that having received this proposal, the Diocesan Trustees advised that the parish conduct a consultation process with parishioners which subsequently commenced on June 2 last year and concluded 17 days later. 

“All reasonable steps have been taken to judge the views and expectations of parishioners in Killough Parish in respect of the proposed sale,” the spokesman continued.

“Upon conclusion of the consultation period, the Parish and the Diocese considered the submissions received and a decision was subsequently taken by the Diocesan Trustees, in late 2019, to approve the parish’s request to market the parochial hall and lands for sale on the open market.”

The spokesman said the decision was conveyed to the parishioners of Bright Parish in a bulletin notice this March with a timeline of progress in respect of the sales and future of the other buildings.

He added: “As a result of the Covid-19 crisis, the sale of the parochial house and lands had been delayed. With lockdown restrictions now easing, the sale is progressing.

“It is intended that any proceeds of this combined sale of properties would contribute to addressing the current parish debt and also enable the parish to allocate funds for parish improvements.”