CHURCH leaders want to stop their local pub being turned into housing as they hope to make it a community centre instead.

As reported in The Press last week, Punch Taverns wants to convert The Volunteer Arms in Watson Street, Holgate, York, into houses.

But the neighbouring church, St Paul’s, has objected to the plan and says it wants to buy the pub instead.

The Rector of St Paul’s, the Rev John Lee, said: “We sympathise with Punch Taverns’ situation, but we would love to see The Volunteer Arms building remain as an asset to the local community in Holgate and we think we could help.”

He said the church’s charitable status meant it had taken it time to get permission to buy the building, but said the church had the money to do so. Mr Lee said: “We have contacted the former agents for Punch Taverns and we hope that we may be able to come to a satisfactory agreement with the brewery.”

If it got the building, St Paul’s would likely use it for some of its groups, which include ones that work with children, young people and young families, older people and people with learning disabilities.

Mr Lee said: “All these groups use the church building and we think that the pub building would be a way of expanding and improving what we do for people in the area and starting some new initiatives.

“In the current climate, if the Big Society is going to be a reality, we think that community space will be essential and there is not much around in Holgate.”