The state of a church in L8 which lies in rack and ruin is causing fear in residents after its roof collapsed.
The Welsh Church on Princes Road, which has been abandoned for over 20 years, is in a serious state of disrepair and recently a section of the roof collapsed.
Following the collapse residents now fear this may undermine the building's structural integrity and could be a danger.
There were plans by Liverpool charity KIND (Kids in Need and Distress) to develop the site that was under Merseyside Building Preservation Trust (MBPT) ownership, but those plans did not materialise. Now the building is under new ownership since 2022 and continues to fall further into disrepair.
The ECHO understands the site is owned by Audsley Holdings after it was sold by MBPT.
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Sonia Bassey of L8 Matters CLT told the ECHO: "It was infuriating to see the temporary roof of the Welsh Presbyterian Church has started to fall in. This was gifted to Merseyside Building Preservation Trust for £1. This is a scandalous sale and we are sick of developers coming into our community to make profit.
"They had this building for over a year now and done nothing with it. It will fall down! And then you will be left with a prime profitable development site for lots of money to be made off it. Give it back to the community".
L8 Resident Mike Faulkner said: "How much heritage have we lost over the last 20 - 30 years and can we afford to lose anymore? If the roof caved in it is not a safe site and would need immediate work to rectify it. The roof is lost now.
"I can envisage over the years that more will come down. Heaven forbid if the spire was to come down and nothing has been done in years since the last one was removed. It seems it's left to rot".
Meanwhile L8 resident Joe Farrag said: "Two thirds of the roof has gone. I’m not an expert so I don't know how safe or unsafe it will be. But it's up to the group who own it to do something with it.
"With it being the Welsh Cathedral that was the first building you saw when you sailed into the Mersey as the Liver Buildings were not built at that time. So it has a history to it and should be saved".
It is understood the council met with the owners in autumn 2022 and at present they are awaiting an update on the scheme. The church known locally as The Welsh Cathedral was built around 1865 - 1867 and at the time was the tallest building in Liverpool with its 200 ft (61m) steeple.
A Liverpool City Council spokesperson said: "The site has been inspected by the Council’s Building Control team who found the building poses no immediate risk to the public.
"From a longer term perspective we will be reviewing options for the site with the owners".
Dr Mustafa Rabia of Audsley Holdings said: "Following interest from residents in the area, we wanted to assure those local to the former Welsh Presbyterian Church that we are currently working closely with our teams of expert surveyors and architects on how we can best preserve this Liverpool landmark. As a building that has historic links with the community and is associated with the personal stories of many, it is vital that this site is restored to its former glory and we are privileged to be able to take on this work as its new guardians.
"It is true that the building, recently acquired by ourselves, is in a fragile state due to years of neglect, having been unoccupied for over 20 years. However, with the help of our expert partners and with significant investment from us, it is our aim to transform the Welsh Church into a space that can be treasured by the community for generations to come. We are approaching the final stages of our proposals, in preparation for presentation to Liverpool City Council. It is our aim to engage with local community groups throughout this planning process and we look forward to sharing our thoughts on the future of the former Welsh Presbyterian Church with the people of the city."
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