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As well as weekly Sunday services, members of the church can visit the building during the week for “religious study and take part in the church auditing’ sessions; spiritual exercises as part of a group or one to one”. "We are delighted that the planning applications were approved so we can move forward on renovating the historic Windmill Hills and restoring it to its former character and beauty," he said. The listed former Duckworth's essence distillery in Manchester was supposed to become an ideal org, but the church failed to get planning permission to use it for religious worship.
They also have the power to make a compulsory purchase, but only if they have a plan to secure the building's long-term future. The building in Gateshead is part of an international programme of property expansion, which the church's UK spokesman Graeme Wilson said was "to cater for increased interest in Scientology". He runs the Black Bull pub, which sits just in front of the former care home. Damp and derelict, the spooky Victorian day school sits at the mercy of vandals, squatters and the elements. As I walked back from Gateshead about an hour ago I could smell burning wood.
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"Since then the council has monitored the condition of the building and would take any enforcement action that is considered appropriate either under listed building or planning legislation," Lucas said. Part of the council's Local Plan 2015 for Gateshead includes "bringing the former Windmill Hills nursing home back into use by ensuring development". A planning application was lodged by a Scientologist called Richard Pickles with Gateshead council in 2007 to turn the building into "a place of worship and religious instruction", and permission was granted. But the church never made good on that application, which has now expired. She said the council was "exploring the options available" to reach a solution.
In 2007, Scientologists purchased the Windmill Hills Nursing Home, a Grade II listed former care home and school in the heart of Gateshead, a short walk from the iconic Tyne Bridge, for £1.5m ($2.2m, €1.9m). It later passed to the Australian arm of the church, the Church of Scientology Religious Education College Incorporated, in 2009, according to Land Registry records. For years, the Church of Scientology has owned several grand and historic properties across England, purchased as part of a global expansion plan to build "Ideal Organisations" — religious centres — in new communities across the world. Critics of the church accuse it of being a "cult", which it strenuously denies, saying it is a legitimate religion. The Black Bull shares a car park with the building the Church of Scientology had hoped to renovate.
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Beside a sparkling image of the Grade II listed building, the text says the church's new branch will be based in the building and aim to make northern England "strong, prosperous and enlightened". The council's planning committee will vote on the application next Wednesday. Originally designed as a school in 1879, the site became council offices in 1962 following its closure and was given its grade-II listing in 1983. The Council is in discussion with the owners of the building regarding its future and are keen to see the rest of the building brought into a good state of repair, and that the building is brought back into use. Due to the position oft he building, on the periphery of the town centre, there is strong interest from other parties and it is hoped that a solution can be found. In the event that discussions break down, as a last resort, the Council has a number of statutory powers it may use to secure various works to the building to halt its deterioration and improve the amenity.
Could all future updates about this project be posted here on this thread please. The Church of Scientology is finally pushing ahead with plans to open a new North East headquarters at a derelict nursing home in Gateshead. Construction of a new entrance foyer at Ground Floor level accessed from the car park.
Job: Windmill Hills Nursing Home, Bensham Road, Gateshead
The church still insists renovations will take place "in the near future", seven years since one of its followers first bought it. "It's the whole area it obviously affects, because people know the building was a lovely old building and for somewhere just to go downhill like that, it's just a real shame." Apparently not satisfied with the damage caused yesterday someone has decided to have another go. About two hours ago reports appeared on Facebook showing a couple of photographs of smoke billowing out of the roof. The former Windmill Hills nursing home has lain empty for around a decade , after being purchased by the church in 2007 for a reported £1.5m. New mono pitched central space subdivided to form a chapel and small café, both with access to an external raised patio at first floor level .
Councils can require owners to carry out repairs to listed buildings, or undertake works themselves and bill the owner. Keith Shevill is licensee of the Black Bull, a pub that shares a car park with the Windmill Hills property. The Scientologists take care of the grounds and he worked with them to clear up the car park, cutting down old trees and hedges. But he said "absolutely zilch" has happened to the main property, aside from work to repair fire damage. The council’s planning department had recommended approval for the scheme saying “it is considered that the proposal would not cause harm to the Grade II listed building”. It was finally announced last October that the church was pushing ahead with plans to redevelop the site into a new regional headquarters, and those proposals were given the green light by council planning chiefs on Wednesday morning.
Stop church of Scientology taking opening at Windmill Hills care home
The Windmill Hills Centre is a registered charity and community centre. We provide facilities in the interest of social welfare for the benefit of the local community in Gateshead. The church teaches that people are immortal beings who have forgotten their true nature. The church has already ploughed a reported $16m (£12.7m) into recent renovations at Saint Hill Manor in Sussex, its UK headquarters. “However, we understand architects have now been appointed to oversee repairs and we are led to believe that progress is expected in the very near future.
When I gott to the old Windmill Hills School it was all cordoned off with the fire brigade in attendance. I couldn't see any external damage but the firemen were knocking out some of the security metal framing on the windows. This new 'Project Thread' for the conversion of the Windmill Hills building into the Church of Scientology, set up wef 1st November 2018. Historic England holds an extensive range of publications and historic collections in its public archive covering the historic environment.
Discover and use our high-quality applied research to support the protection and management of the historic environment. See our extensive range of expert advice to help you care for and protect historic places. You can create a free account to post activities, services and promote organisation working in Gateshead. Whitehall Road Methodist Church is located in the middle of the Bensham area of Gateshead, close to the town centre.
Meanwhile every day no work is done, the Windmill Hills care home's condition gets worse and the cost of renovating it gets higher. "The buildings we are opening are of high quality and perfectly renovated," said Mr Wilson. "To achieve this standard requires a lot of planning, time and funds. But we are making excellent progress."
Read about our current news, projects and campaigns nationally and in your area. Explore the many ways you can help to support the incredibly rich and varied heritage. Change of use of nursing home to place of worship and religious instruction . Reviews are limited to one per user and you have reviewed this business before. "It doesn't do the area any favours... It's a shame because my uncle was in there years ago when it was an old people's home. It was a magnificent property and it just went to rack and ruin."
The building was transferred to the church in 2009 but remains unused. The church has refused to give a renovation timescale or explain how much this would cost. Shortly after the purchase, Mr Pickles successfully applied to Gateshead Council for planning permission to make it a place of religious worship. The buildings the church has opened over the past decade are called "ideal orgs" and carry a higher status. The Windmill Hills former school and care home in Gateshead looks like the ideal setting for a ghost story. Getting the community to sign this petition and stopping their plans going ahead.
“Once the full renovations have been carried out on Windmill Hills, the church will be opened. A first image of the festive broadcast has been released by Windsor Castle. "We very much look forward to opening our Church of Scientology there and working with the local community." "We are clear that further works are required in the short term to improve the condition of the building." The building - on the edge of a park in central Gateshead - is regarded by many as a prominent eyesore. The Windmill Hills building was bought for £1.5m in 2007 by Richard Pickles, who the church described as "one of our parishioners".
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