Emergency repairs planned for historic chapel after roof collapse

Anthony Lewis, Local Democracy Reporter

Emergency repair works are being planned for a Grade II listed chapel after its roof partially collapsed.

A planning application has been submitted for works to stabilise the Elim Pentecostal Church in Knight Street, Mountain Ash, to mitigate risk to the adjoining properties following the partial roof collapse of the chapel.

This partial roof collapse happened on March 28 and Rhondda Cynon Taf (RCT) Council then carried out emergency works to immediately erect access scaffold and remove loose sections of masonry roof that where overhanging a neighbouring property.

Evacuated

Following the roof collapse, residents of 3 Knight Street were evacuated and are to date still in temporary accommodation, the planning application says.

Knight Street has since been closed to vehicle traffic with diversionary routes still in place.

The main objective of this phase of works is to stabilise the existing chapel and mitigate as far as possible any further degradation and loss of historic fabric associated with the chapel, the design and access statement said.

Safe

Whilst ensuring the chapel is structurally safe, the aim is to allow residents of 3 Knight Street to return to their home and reopen Knight Street to vehicle traffic whilst plans for future development are discussed, it added.

RCT Council owns the land on which the development will be constructed, the design and access statement said.

The building was previously the Noddfa Methodist Chapel and was built in 1905. It was previously described as “an unusually well-planned Edwardian chapel, with exceptional oval gallery, and good plasterwork to ceiling”.