Plans to tackle the leaky roof on the former Methodist Church have been lodged with Cornwall Council's planning department.

Falmouth Methodist Church on the Moor was recently sold to business partners Harry James Mills and Shaun White, who also own Falmouth-based businesses Solskinn - a coffee and cocktail bar located at The Poly - WeSUP - the paddleboard centre located at Gylly beach that the pair have run for 12 years.

The church was sold because the Methodist Church could not raise the money to repair the roof which was damaged by a gale in 2008 which revealed that other repairs needed to be done. Despite a campaign called 'Raise the Roof' raising the amount needed to fix the problems proved insurmountable.

This week Harry and Shaun have submitted plans to replace the lead flashings on the roof and install photovoltaic panels which will be used to supply electricity and central heating.

"Currently the roof has several areas of water penetration which will eventually lead to structural damage," they say in their application. "Therefore, it is proposed to replace all the lead flashings. It is also intended to install photovoltaic panels to provide an electric supply for heating hot water etc. This will provide a huge reduction in the buildings carbon footprint.

"We therefore consider your council should reasonably grant conditional planning consent."

They say all the existing slates will be used and the roof will be enhanced.

The businessmen, along with two other partners, are looking to creating a space that retains the communal use of the old church space while also providing two commercial outlets and local residential properties.

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The first Methodist chapel on the present site opened in 1791, described as a simple building with plenty of space, followed by a further building in 1837.

The basis of the present building was completed in 1876, with a seating capacity of 1,400 – one of the largest in Cornwall – and cost £6,000. The new Falmouth Circuit was formed in 1932.

The church suffered bomb damage twice during the war, on October 9, 1940 and again on May 13, 1941.

According to the website the shell of the building remained intact but the inside was very badly damaged and on the first occasion several lives were lost. The cost of repairs was £44,000 and the reconstructed church was dedicated by Rev Leslie Weatherhead, President of the Methodist Conference, on March 14, 1956.

The church changed its name in 1979 to Falmouth Methodist Church when Pike’s Hill was closed, and a new joint society was formed.

The church became part of the newly formed Falmouth and Gwennap Circuit in 2008 and in the same year the pews from the main body of the church were removed to enable more flexibility, before announcing it was closing in June closing last year.