LAST week I read a short piece in the local paper expressing concern for the future of St John's Church in Coleford. I found the comments at odds to the discussions I have heard locally in Coleford.

The rumour is that closure is imminent. This rings alarm bells. Something is very wrong with the handling of the situation. There are too many unanswered questions.

It is promising to see that the Town Council are concerned and are wishing to meet the PCC to discuss the £1.5 million bill being quoted for repairs, although this is a figure taken from 2007. Is this quote for repairs or does it include work to get the building more user friendly and energy efficient?

The PCC are also quoted as saying that they are exploring options for maintaining a presence in the town and mentioned a partnership between Christchurch and St John's.

Archdeacon Geoffrey Sidaway is then quoted as saying that there are no current plans to close St John's in Coleford.

There was a meeting at the church and I understand that "a plan" was mentioned but it was felt that this could not be discussed....why?

Common comments heard are that St John's is too big; is too cold; has no toilets; is too far out of town; there is too big a hill to climb; "a millstone around our necks".

There seems to be big carrot dangling in the form of a new building to which they could move, one which would be purposely converted with heating and toilets, possibly to be shared with other denominations locally. I have since discovered which building this is. It is currently in use by another party who are also discussing closure in its' present form.

Over the past 10-15 years, I found it very noticeable and sad, at how much the church has deteriorated internally and how with the exception of the kitchen and dining area, there appears to have been little spent on the maintenance. The roof is now clearly in need of repair and I remember the joy when Rev D Lawrence secured the English Heritage match funding. I remember thinking that this was going to be celebrated and publicised on the launch of a fundraiser for the remaining money complete with the traditional thermometer showing a target, yet silence, and nothing.

I have been told that the church probably needs re-wiring at a cost of £40,000 and that the current PA system will need replacing in the autumn, due to a change in safety regulations.

Toilets are and always have been a contentious issue; family members can remember it being discussed 30 years ago. It remains an unresolved issue.

With regard to putting in a floor to utilise space and save on heating. This too was discussed 30 years ago and numerous times since, each time it has been rejected by the council on the grounds of the building being listed. Yet behind the scenes there are rumours that there are now serious discussions being held between the council and the Diocese about turning the building in to flats. How can this happen if the building is listed?

There seems to be a lot of secrecy with information being withheld from the general public.

The burden of care has fallen on a small congregation and it has become too big a task. The responsibility of daily maintenance of the six churches in the Benefice has now fallen to one or two people and it is too much for them.

By contrast, the church was repainted in anticipation of the arrival of the incoming vicar, Rev Semple, after the promotion of Rev Wagstaff to Archdeacon of Gloucester.

I appreciate that the "church" is the people and not the building but how many in the local town, like me, have always expected the church [as a building] to continue as an ever present presence in our lives?

The closure of St John's, I personally feel will have a far greater impact on the community as a whole.

It is the parish church of Coleford, a major market town. It is not a small village, and it is the principal church in the Mid Wyedean Parish. It may not be the prettiest, it does take a significant congregation to fill it, but it has character, acoustics and presence. Beyond the annual Flower Festival and Festival of Hands, there have been no appeals for help, no attempts at public fundraising. The PCC seem to have accepted it will be easier to close the church and move on.

How many people in Coleford expect to be able to be married there and have their children christened there?

How many people in Coleford and the surrounds are expecting to have their funeral service at St John's?

The assumption has been made that the parishioners will just relocate their requests to another church, for example Newland or Clearwell. Foresters, though, have a pride in their own town.

The other churches in the Benefice are lovely, characterful and have parking issues but have also in recent years had serious renovations carried out. The finance article in the April parish magazine states that the PCC has decided to lend substantial amounts of money from the fabric funds of St John's, Coleford and All Saints, Staunton to St Peter's, Clearwell to help with "ridiculous changes in VAT legislation and unexpected additional costs". I understand that the Diocese of Exeter is contesting this retrospective VAT change. Why is the Diocese of Gloucester not doing the same?

Where will the town's Remembrance services be held?

What consideration has been given to St John's C of E Primary School?

It will be a church school without a church. Its ethos is to encourage the children of the parish in Christian values, yet it will have no location for the harvest festivals, Christmas services, Easter services and the end of year leavers' service. These visits are attended by the entire school and well supported by the parents and families.

The church is regularly visited by the school with the children holding for example, baptisms, creating art and floral projects for the displays.

If St John's is closed there is no scope for the incoming vicar to promote and fundraise but then I have also discovered that since the retirement of Rev D Lawrence the position hasn't even been advertised.

A replacement vicar could be two years away before there is a driving force for change.

I feel at odds with having such strong feelings for the church but I am sure that others in the parish will feel the same. Apathy is the biggest concern of our generation. How many times have people bemoaned the loss of the Town Hall, demolished in the 1960s, and I feel this is now the same situation facing us with St John's. We cannot make decisions today which generations to come will regret.

St John's is the last building in Coleford that is large enough to hold over 400 people (464 to be precise). As a community building it has been used to host a variety of functions and events. The largest room in the Main Place holds 100. Coleford citizens should have a say in how the building is used and there should be a full, transparent and honest public consultation to ascertain public feeling.

I would urge all locals to pull together. If you have a skill which could be used to help to repair the church (electrician, build­er, carpenter, cleaner, tea maker etc), please make yourself known and we will see whether the public really do want to keep this building open for the people of Coleford and the surrounding areas.

– A concerned parishioner.