New church could be built on rugby fields

The Church of England says St Luke’s Church in nearby Highwoods Square is not big enough for the thriving congregation.

Now plans have been hatched to create the new church on part of land currently home to the rugby fields off Mill Road.

The site totals 40 acres and councillors are fighting to preserve 15 of those from more housing.

Their proposal is for the new church to be built on three of the 15 acres, with 12 remaining as public open space.

Gerard Oxford, leader of the Highwoods Independent group on Colchester Council, said: “I was contacted by the Bishop of Chelmsford and asked to negotiate on their behalf to try to secure the land for the church.

“We have got a meeting with the Archdeacon at the Bishop’s request on the 24th of this month to try to move things forward.

“The Bishop said we are wanting to have a church building that can seat 250, plus break-out rooms down both sides.

“In order to do that and provide that package, I took advice which was three acres including parking would be exactly the acreage required.”

He added: “The Bishop, in his first talk with me, saw the church going there and the building would be an umbrella church linking St John’s and Mile End but also providing in Highwoods because they have got a thriving congregation here.”

The congregation for St Luke’s Church meets at Highwoods and St John’s Community Centre and Mr Oxford said the assumption would be the church would discontinue from there.

His meeting later this month will help determine more specifics about the new church but it is all dependant on the land being secured for it, he said.

That decision lies with site owners Colchester Council.

However, if successful, the church would be facing onto Mill Road and the existing rugby club on the site would be demolished.

The church would pay for the building.

The plans by Colchester Council for the rugby fields site would see the Colchester Rugby Club relocate to the other side of the A12 and build homes in its place.

A specialist sports hub would be created near junction 28 including the new the rugby club site.

To raise the money to pay for this the council would have to sell part of the existing rugby ground for someone to build a housing development.

The rugby club land falls within the Highwoods boundary ward and the Highwoods Independent Group, along with Myland Community Council, are trying to save as much space from being built on as possible.

A spokesman for Chelmsford Diocese (the Church of England in Essex and East London) said: “The idea that Cllr Oxford appears to have come up with seems to be really quite imaginative but, because neither our local archdeacon nor any other interested person or group has received a presentation by him or had the chance to explore any of the details and practicalities involved, it is far too early to comment.”