A 200-year-old church that is “falling into disrepair” could be converted into two homes under new plans.

The former Community Church on the corner of Victoria Road and Stanley Road in Deal has stood empty since services stopped in March 2020.

It was originally built as a Baptist Church in 1881 but has been used by different denominations ever since.

An extension was built in 1882 and a separate church hall was then added in 1903 which was converted into a home in 2016.

Three years ago, developers were given the green light to convert the main church building, and the extension into two separate homes.

While work on the extension is almost complete, developer Raycasa Investments Ltd says the plans to turn the main building into a single home are “no longer economically viable”.

Documents submitted to Dover District Council (DDC) by Hume Planning Consultancy Ltd say the changing housing market and rising building costs mean there is a “reduced demand for such large houses”.

Now bosses have put forward new plans to split the main building into two four-bedroom homes across three floors.

Both dwellings would have a private courtyard garden and the bedrooms with en-suite facilities would be on the first and second floors.

Covered cycle and bin stores would be provided for both homes.

Access to unit one would be via the existing doors in Stanley Road, while those living in unit two would access it via the original main entrance in Victoria Road.

While the building is structurally sound, documents say it is “in need of significant investment” to secure its long-term future.

Find out about planning applications that affect you by visiting the Public Notice Portal.

Proposals show bosses want to retain as many historic features as possible, including all the original doors, stained glass windows, stairs, ornate roof trusses and the main entrance hall.

While the church is not listed, the landmark building falls within the Middle Street Conservation Area, and could be classed as a non-designated heritage asset.

Those behind the scheme say the site is “falling into disrepair” and is in “urgent need of a new sustainable use if it is going to be retained in the long term”.

A decision on the application will be made by planning officers at DDC.