A PLAN for affordable flats and a new parish hall in Ambleside could be in jeopardy after Lake District bosses put in a bid to have a Victorian church listed.

Lakes Parish Council heard this week that Lake District National Park Authority officers had asked the Department for Culture, Media and Sport to consider listed building status for Ambleside Methodist Church and church hall, which is the proposed site in Millans Park for 22 new housing association flats.

At what was described by South Lakeland district councillor David Vatcher as "the 11th hour", certain features of the roof beams had been thought worthy of inspection. Yet when LDNPA officers visited two years ago, there were no qualms expressed about any features, he said.

Listing would not only threaten Ambleside's new housing development, but also jeopardise development of the new St Mary's Parish Hall, added Coun Vatcher.

The hall is supported by funding from the proposed sale of the Methodist Church, but if Methodist premises are listed, this would make it difficult for work to start on the parish hall within the timescale required by lottery funds.

Councillors were unanimous that if the effect of listing the Methodist Church was the withdrawal of housing plans, this would be disastrous for Ambleside, and urged the LDNPA to honour its duty to foster the social and economic well-being of local communities.

The council previously recommended approval of the Millans Park scheme as an "elegant planning solution" which would retain the buildings' external appearance while providing desperately-needed new homes.

LDNPA built environment conservation adviser Andy Lowe confirmed that he had contacted the DCMS after being alerted to the planning application for the Methodist Church. He was due to meet an officer from English Heritage at the church next week, after which a recommendation would be made back to the DCMS.

Mr Lowe hoped a decision on any listing could be made by the end of August. If the church was listed, it would not prevent development, but greater consideration would have to be given to any changes.

Denying that it was an 11th hour move, Mr Lowe said the church and hall were "outstanding buildings of the Arts and Crafts period", and that putting in new floors and creating 22 units "isn't to my mind the best way of preserving an old church".

Mr Lowe said that he did not realise there was a funding link between the sale of the Methodist Church and the new St Mary's Parish Hall until "fairly recently", but the issues were separate, and the authority had to do what was best for the Methodist Church for "a long time ahead".

"It's very unfortunate because we are very supportive of the other hall (St Mary's) but I really feel if there's a genuine need for local housing in Ambleside, we should all get together and look at every site, every building, and see if there are any alternatives."

Catherine Powloski of St Mary's Parish Centre Trust, said: "We are really excited about the new ecumenical partnership between St Mary's Church and the Methodist Church and the benefits it will bring to Ambleside in terms of social housing and community facilities and projects.

"But it will not be possible for the Methodist Church to commit any funding to the community centre building until planning permission is granted for the social housing project.

"We are very concerned that the funding for our own project may be affected by delay in the planning process for the housing development.

"It would be tragic if the town lost both these exciting new initiatives as a result of planning delays, especially as we understand that the plans for the Methodist site retain the whole the existing front faade and the windows."