Here is a press release dated 1981, from Christ Church URC in Quoiting Square, that will amaze those of you who don’t remember it or who were not around at that time.

The Minister, Arthur McArthur, was proposing to turn the existing church into offices, to build a smaller modern church alongside, with a commercial block raising funds through sale or rental.

The artist’s impression illustrates the proposal.

The long building is not the new church, this was the ‘commercial development’; the ‘new church’ was to be between this and the original historic 19th Century building.

No problem with the demolition of the old Saw Doctors’ premises: (I have included a 1960s picture of this) it was in a poor state, but the rest of the proposals were outlandish, to say the least, and from the sketch it appears that Mr McArthur was also proposing changes to the Platts’ Garage building. In 1981 this also included the Radio and TV department of Platts’.

I have not been able to find out if it ever got as far as an official planning application, but I have a press cutting indicating that the town council were totally opposed to the idea as, I am sure, were most townspeople. 

I am convinced that in 1981 this scheme would have been rejected: not so sure about today though – plenty of controversial plans get waved through despite considerable objections!

I have included a present day view, and, of course, the church has now received an excellent extension, with considerable trouble having been taken to match the original yellow bricks which came from the former Marlow Brickworks behind Newtown Road.

Christ Church now serves as a concert venue in addition to the religious usage. The graveyard has also been tastefully extended into a nice little leisure area with seating.

Of course the most controversial local proposal 50 years ago was the ‘Northern Bypass’, which would have resulted in widespread housing demolition and several years of disruption.

I detailed the ill-advised plans for that in this column many years ago, but with a considerable number of new readers maybe it’s time to give that a re-run!
Contact Michael at michael@jazzfans.co or 01628 486571