Beach Haven residents upset historic church was taken without warning

Beach Haven’s icon has been removed from its home to provide purpose built houses for disabled community.

Beach Haven’s church has been removed from the foundations it has called home for almost 80 years.

The Methodist church removed the historic building on August 9, despite an ongoing debate with community members.

Chairman Damien Light is upset about a lack of compromise regarding the church’s fate.

As a church is removed, Beach Haven people feel they have lost a part of their history and childhood.

“There was no prior warning from the church that they were moving it today, despite our requests for them to keep us informed,” Light says.

“They said they ‘forgot’ to tell us.”

The Beach Haven church has been part of the community since 1939, when it was built by a group of community volunteers.

Last year, the church announced it would be moved to make way for accommodation for disabled residents.

Its meaningful and historical connection to Beach Haven had community members feeling they should have a say in what happens to it.

A “save the church” campaign lead by the Beach Haven Placemaking Group followed, trying to negotiate an alternative.

Light says there were lots of alternative suggestions for the church from the community.

“We knew they were going to move it, its just the way it was done,” he says.

“The next best thing was to keep the building in the area at least.

“But unfortunately the church was determined this was the only thing they were going to do.”

The chief executive of the Methodist Church’s property development arm, Airedale Property Trust, Bruce Stone, says it was approached by the church to put the land to better use for the community.

“There is a shortage of purpose-built housing for people with disabilities,” Stone says.

“This allows the church to use land in a new way.”

Stone says Airedale Property Trust spent years discussing the church’s future with the community.

“If it could have been retained on site and used as a part of development, it would have been,” he says.

Beach Haven church has been sold.

– Stuff