DEVELOPERS have put forward plans to convert the much-loved Gunnislake Chapel into nine apartments, which would save the building from demolition. Calstock councillors, who with members of the local community were involved in a campaign to try and save the chapel, showed their support for the scheme at a meeting this week. The chapel was sold to developers Rowan Homes South West Ltd by the Methodist Church. It currently has planning permission to be demolished and be replaced by two houses, which was won on appeal last year. The building has not been used for church services for more than two years but until recently was the home of the local pre-school and other community groups. It was hoped that the village could attract funding to purchase the building and refurbish it as a youth facility but this was not possible. Cllr Dorothy Kirk said: 'Everybody, including the planning officers, local residents and district councillors, is in support of retaining the chapel. The design for the conversion is also very innovative.' Mrs Kirk said the Chapel, built in 1834, gave its name to Chapel Street in Gunnislake and it was previously a listed building until the Methodist Church got it de-listed. 'Chapels help give villages their unique character, a fact that was highlighted in the World Heritage Site bid,' she said. A spokesman for Catchfrench Design, who are the agents for the applicant, said the company liked the building and wanted to retain it if possible. The design consisted of a central atrium with flats down either side. He said a reserved matters application for the demolition and building of two homes had also been submitted as a 'contingency plan' if the conversion was turned down by planners. Cllr Mike Greenwood said the only reservation about the scheme was that it only had four parking spaces and the council would be pushing for a fifth. 'This is the one of the biggest and most prominent buildings in the village and everybody would like to see this conversion go ahead,' he said.
