A former chapel, close to the centre of Delph village in Saddleworth, is to go under the hammer in an action later this month.

Delph Independent Chapel, which was a place of worship until the late 1980s, will go on sale in an online property auction next Tuesday with a guide price of £425,000.

The disused stone-built church became a private property in the 1990s and is being auctioned with planning consent to convert it into either nine small apartments or seven two and three-bedroom apartments.

The 1.3-acre site also has planning consent for a pair of four-bedroom semi-detached houses to be built on land at the side of the chapel.

The Oldham Times: Delph Independent Chapel Delph Independent Chapel (Image: Pugh)

Planning permission for the conversion of the chapel into nine apartments was initially approved by Oldham Council in 2009, and amended to seven units in 2017. 

Approval was granted for the construction of the two houses on the adjoining land the following year, and according to the auctioneers the planning consent for both developments remains extant.

Work appeared to be underway to convert the chapel in 2018, and a new planning application to amend the site’s parking plan was rejected by Oldham Council in 2021.

Pugh director Edward Feather said: “Saddleworth is a stunning area that is highly sought after as a place to live with easy rail commutes to both Manchester and Leeds.

“The old chapel is in a fantastic location, a short walk from the village centre and primary school and needless to say we have had significant interest in the site as a development opportunity.

“The saga of the chapel’s redevelopment to residential accommodation has dragged on over decades and it would be great to see this historic building finally take on a new lease of life in the hands of an owner who can ensure it becomes an asset to the village once more.”

Bidding on the former Delph Independent Chapel, and the other lots in Pugh’s online property auction, opens on Tuesday, March 21 and closes the following day.

Oldham Council was contacted for comment regarding the planning permission on this site.