An iconic church has been put on the open market in a bid to attract developers.
St Paul’s Church in Tregolls Road, Truro, is being sold by the Church of England for just £100,000.
But to repair the building could cost as much as £4 million.
St Paul’s Church has been a fixture of the city since 1848. It was paid for by banker William Mansell Tweedy as an overflow church for the parish of St Clement.
The church is in a conservation area and campaigners who would like to see it preserved believe it sets the tone for Cornwall’s capital city as visitors come in on the A390.
The tower and east end of the church were built from polyphant stone which weathers badly and has a life of only around 100 years when used externally. The east end was added in 1884 and the tower was completed in 1910.
An engineering report in 2012 concluded the construction of the tower was critically flawed and in need of rebuilding.
In the past, diocese bosses warned that if no private developer came forward to take on the work, demolition would remain an option.
Heritage campaigners fear any move to demolish the 19th-century building would change the character of the Tregolls Road area forever, especially if it is replaced by what they said could be a modern carbuncle.
Diocesan secretary Esther Pollard said both Church Commissioners and the Diocese of Truro have previously put 'significant efforts' into trying to find an alternative use for St Paul’s.
She said: "We feel we have exhausted every avenue in terms of possibilities for the building, so it will be interesting to see whether placing it on the open market brings forth any new potential buyers.
"It is a wonderful location, but clearly the structural issues are very significant.
"Nothing would make us happier than seeing somebody come up with a viable plan for St Paul’s."
The church was closed to regular public worship in 2008.
The Church of England Closed Churches Division asked Cornwall Council planners for pre-application advice on demolition in 2016.
Since then, with no buyer coming forward, the church has remained closed and fenced off.
It is still very much in a prime development location – albeit currently difficult to access from the main road.
Paul Holden, chairman of the Cornish Buildings Group, which has been campaigning for the church to be repaired and preserved, launched an online petition in 2017 which has to date gathered 1,800 signatures.
At the time Mr Holden said: "This is a listed building, the church has been recognised as the best by the architect Sedding.
"It is in a conservation area and creates the setting for the Tregolls Road.
"The whole road has been ruined by inappropriate development. Our fear is that this iconic historic building will be lost to another set of retirement homes."
Andrew Chilcott, from Lillicrap Chilcott, through which the church is being marketed, said: “There is a significant amount of information which we are able to provide to prospective purchasers of such a rare freehold opportunity in a prominent location on the approach into Truro city centre.”
