A CONTROVERSIAL Grade Two listed building in the centre of Darwen which was falling into disrepair has been transformed into luxury apartments.

Rossendale-based Living Room, in consultation with English Heritage, have converted the former Belgrave Chapel building into 21 apartments with car parking. One apartment is complete and others are being decorated and are expected to be finished soon.

Owner Jamie Carter, whose company has already completed residential developments at a church in Rawtenstall and a working men's club in Bacup, said: "English Heritage was particularly pleased because the building had started to deteriorate.

"The man I bought it from had lived there for about eight years and was in the process of converting it into 15 apartments but stopped halfway through. We heard about it and thought it was ideal for us. It has taken us about 18 months.

"When we heard about it, it had planning permission for the 15 apartments. I bought it at auction and we got that changed into 21 luxury apartments."

The historic church, also known as Belgrave Independent Meeting House, was due to go under the hammer for around £150,000 last year after the owner built only three of the 15 flats he planned to complete before deciding to emigrate. Mr Carter made a £100,000 offer to Manchester-based auctioneers Eddisons which was accepted before the auction took place.

The chapel ceased as a place of religious worship in the early 1980s after falling into disrepair. It was bought by Crown Wallcoverings in 1982 with the intention of demolishing it and putting a car park in its place but after a two-day public inquiry in the early 1990s, the Department of Environment decided the building was of too much architectural and historical importance to be bulldozed.

Darwen councillor Karimeh Foster said: "I am pleased to see the trouble the building has had is now over. They have refurbished it and kept the historic feature of the building intact. Hopefully it will be good for Darwen people to find somewhere to live in the town centre and encourage more people to stay in Darwen rather than living elsewhere. Then they will spend their money here too."