A church adjacent to Hearsall Common is to be added to the Local List of Heritage Assets.
The former Hearsall Baptist Church, famous for its Christmas “Star of Hope”, has been accepted by the Council’s Cabinet Member for Housing and Communities for inclusion in the Council’s list of Local Heritage Assets.
The listing follows a public consultation last summer and a petition with more than 1000 signatories.
The Hearsall Baptist Church, on Queensland Avenue in Coventry, first opened as a Sunday School in 1928 and became a church in 1938. It was designed by prominent Coventry architect, George Steane.
The listing applies to the Baptist church’s original building, also known as Hearsall Church Hall, and not the modern-day church building on the same site.
If a building has locally-listed status, its heritage must be considered in any proposed redevelopment, although the move does not afford full statutory protection.
Interestingly, the consultation revealed that most respondents didn’t support the listing, but were strongly in favour of retaining the Christmas Star.
The petition, with 1033 signatures, was in favour of Local Listing and protecting this section of Hearsall Baptist Church, including the spire and the Christmas Star from any future demolition and for the Council to work with partners to secure community use of the building.
Perhaps ironically, the illuminated star is not included in the listing, as it is a moveable feature and cannot be included on the list. However the current occupiers of the building, the MARPE Assembly of All Nations, has committed to retaining the star at Christmas.
The Coventry Society supported this listing and you can read about the history of the Church on our website.
At the same Cabinet Member Meeting, it was also agreed to locally list the Blacker Bombard Spigot Mortar(s) in Keresley.