AN HISTORIC Wanstead church has been granted special protection by the Government - but its congregation are not happy.

The United Reform Church (URC), in Grosvenor Road, has just been awarded Grade II listed status, but the rating has consequently scuppered proposals to rebuild the church and could also limit the type of repair works carried out on the building in future.

The listed status application was carried out without the knowledge of church elders, and several members of the congregation have spoken privately to the Guardian of their disappointment at the verdict.

Church Reverend Rosalind Selby said: "In an ideal world if we had not been listed it would have left the church with more options for the future, and it's always better not having someone outside telling you what you can and can't do.

"But on reflection, although it was surprise to learn of the application it was always going to happen. It doesn't matter who made the application because it was inevitable someone would.

"With a grade two listed rating with no star there is no funding available for us. We don't have much money and there are a lot of repairs which need doing.

"We are now looking at the options before we can make a decision what to do next. We'll probably have an open day or meeting in a few months to present them to the community."

In March 2008 church elders had floated plans to tear down the historic building and rebuild it, after being faced with a seemingly insurmountable repair bill of more than £750,000.

Instead the church hoped to obtain a £100,000 grant for a new building, which would work out cheaper than carrying out the repairs.

But Billie Figg, of the Wanstead Society, said she was delighted about the news.

She said: "It's a lovely building and it came as a wonderful surprise.

"The Wanstead Society was sorry to think of it going.

"It's good the building is going to stay. It has a lot of extra rooms which are used for a wide variety of activities, especially for children."

In a report for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, the church was described as "of special architectural interest, principally for the imposing west elevation, dominated by the impressive windows and massive angle buttresses.

It continued: "While the north and south elevations are simpler, they too have good tracery.

"The interior is an impressive space, and has a number of pleasing details such as the carved stone capitals and ironwork balustrades to the galleries.

"It is of special historic interest for its unusual history, its brief existence as an Anglican church in Kings Cross and re-erection as a congregationalist chapel in the emerging suburb of Wanstead.

"[It is] one of few examples of churches which have been moved and substantially reconstructed to their original form, and by the original architect."

More to follow.