CAMPAIGNERS trying to save a treasured church from demolition have weeks to find a team of business professionals to help plan the future of the church.

The Church of St Peter and St Paul, better known as Birch Church, was built in the 1850s but has been empty since 1990.

There has been numerous attempts since then to fund the renovation of the building, but they have fallen through.

The Birch Church Save Our Spire group then formed in an attempt to save the 110-ft spire, which can be seen from miles around.

Loess Overbury-Tapper, who co-leads the campaign group, met with the Chelmsford Diocese last month and was told that a feasible business plan which outlines how the renovation and maintenance of the church would be financed must be finalised by the end of June with an interim report in March.

Gazette: Iconic – the Birch Church spire can be seen from miles aroundIconic – the Birch Church spire can be seen from miles around (Image: Birch Church Save Our Spire)

The plan also needs to provide a proposal for the community use of the building, how much of the church will be preserved, and evidence the community has been consulted on the project.

At Birch Village Hall, a volunteer business professionals meeting will be held on Friday, February 9 at 7pm where it is hoped a member of the public with business expertise will step forward to put the fundraising business plan together.

Essex County Council boss, Kevin Bentley, will also be in attendance to lend his support.

Mrs Overbury-Tapper, 59, said: “The Chelmsford Diocese wants a detailed business plan as to how we are going to restore the church in the short term, and they also want a longer-term plan as to how the project will run going forward.

Gazette: Determined – Loess Overbury-Tapper co-leads the Birch Church Save Our Spire campaign groupDetermined – Loess Overbury-Tapper co-leads the Birch Church Save Our Spire campaign group (Image: Loess Overbury-Tapper)

“We need a team of experienced business professionals who are able to look at it from all angles – finance, marketing, a website, and then get a team going forward with that plan.”

Mrs Overbury-Tapper added the meeting could potentially decide the fate of the church.

She said: “I’m going to chair that meeting and if we don’t get a serious business professional that can manage all of this, then I think we are going to struggle – we really need some key people to make this happen.

“We’ve been on the precipice before, but we’ve got over them.”

Loess Overbury-Tabber can be emailed on loess@tapperfs.co.uk.