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One of the oldest working churches in south London could be demolished and turned into flats after the Church of England today said it was too expensive to repair.

St Andrew’s Church, Stockwell, is set to celebrate its 250th anniversary but urgently needs more than £4 million in repairs to make it safe and secure.

Residents and community groups fear the church and the adjacent Hammerton Hall could be knocked down and replaced by flats. They have urged the Church of England to protect the building when it lodges a planning application with Lambeth council.

Charlene Hutsebaut, chairwoman of the Oak Square Residents’ Association, said: “The parish was started in 1767 and we are worried about the possibility it will be demolished and replaced with a huge building site.

“We think it is a shame such a beautiful structure and something so old could be torn down.

“The latest from the diocese was to redevelop the site by tearing down the church and the hall behind it.

“As residents we are extremely worried that we may end up having a massive tower block beside us which will be higher than the current four-storey buildings. We understand they need to carry out repairs and modernise it and the church might not have the money to do it. But it feels we’re caught between a rock and a hard place.”

The church is not listed because the exterior was extensively altered more than a century ago to give the appearance of a Victorian structure, which means it does not fit heritage criteria.

The Diocese of Southwark said it was working with groups in the area to come up with designs which would include community space.

A spokeswoman said: “The church and hall at St Andrew, Stockwell, need over £4 million spent on them to make them safe and watertight, but this would not bring them up to modern standards for use by the community.

“The parish has been in close consultation with the local community and whilst there are no finalised plans at present, the priest-in-charge hopes to work closely with Lambeth council to provide a church and community space for all to use.

“The site may include some dwellings which would be in keeping with the rest of the area.”@1Ben_Morgan