Historic Priest’s Residence in Newcastle to be Transformed Through Community Vision
A historic former priest’s residence in Newcastle is set to be given a new lease of life after securing funding for a community-led redevelopment project from Historic England, The National Lottery Heritage Fund and The William Leech Charity.
The Grade II* listed presbytery attached to St Michael's Church in Elswick, built between 1889 and 1891, has been vacant for more than 15 years. Since its closure, the presbytery has deteriorated significantly, with blocked gutters, water damage and structural issues. The building has been on the Heritage at Risk Register since 2015.
Community engagement will form the backbone of redevelopment plans, ensuring local needs and ambition drive design concepts for the 3-story building's reuse.
Historic buildings can play a vital role in giving local communities a sense of pride and identity, as well as providing them with a space to socialise, learn and grow. The presbytery has huge potential and I look forward to seeing what exciting plans the community have for it.
The project is funded with grants of £40,988 from Historic England, £15,198 from The National Lottery Heritage Fund and £2,000 from William Leech Foundation, alongside local parish contributions.
The project will result in new concept designs and vision for the building, that will strengthen future funding opportunities for repair and conversion.
St Michael’s Presbytery is an important part of our parish’s heritage, and we are excited to explore how it could be brought back into use for the community. This feasibility study will help us understand the building’s potential while considering how it might best serve the parish and local residents in the future.
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