A DESPERATE plea has gone out to help save a historic church from being destroyed and replaced by new homes.

This could be the last Christmas for Headless Cross Church if Redditch Borough Council approves plans to demolish it and replace it with nine houses (terrace of five and four).

The former Methodist church, built in 1896-7 by respected architect Ewen Harper, closed in 2009 but was until recently still used for meetings.

Consent for its demolition was granted earlier this year and it is understood that the council is currently trying to convince the developer to retain the church’s distinctive steeple in the housing scheme.

The Victorian Society is opposing the planning application in the hope that the church can be saved and adapted to a new use.

The group, a national charity campaigning for the Victorian and Edwardian historic environment, is urging people to object to the application online or face losing the locally listed landmark forever.

It believes it is not too late to save the building and is urging the council to entirely reject the application.

Tim Bridges, from the Victorian Society, said: "The former church has a very unusual openwork stone spire which forms a distinctive landmark and makes a real contribution to the centre of Headless Cross.

"In our view, this former church - and particularly the tower and spire - is a locally listed building worthy of retention and should be sensitively adapted to a new use.

"The developers have indicated that reuse of the building would simply be too expensive. However, many similar buildings are successfully repurposed and it is our understanding that the dry rot would be treatable."

He added: "I would urge local people to object to the application."

The Victorian Society’s objections are not the only hope for the church which could have an entirely different and somewhat unlikely saviour - bats.

Commenting on the application, the Worcestershire Wildlife Trust note that if the former church contains a bat roost its demolition without a licence would be illegal. The trust is therefore requesting a survey of the church is undertaken prior to the application being determined.

Ward councillor for Headless Cross Carole Gandy said: "It's not necessarily about the church. For me, it is about the distinctive tower and spire.

"It is unique and very special to not just Headless Cross but Redditch as a whole.

"I fear the actual church building has gone too far for it to be retrieved and made safe, and even if it was possible it could cost a lot of money. In an ideal world if someone was to come along and pay for it to be restored that would be great.

"However, my prime view is that I want to see the steeple saved, and possibly used somewhere in the development."

She added: "Of the people that have spoken to me most have the same view, that they are concerned about the spire."

A Redditch Council spokesman said that they are currently in negotiations with the applicant over the demolition of the building but could not comment at this stage.

A spokesman for the developer refused to make a comment.