A CONGREGATION is about to move out of a landmark church and use a nearby church hall as its permanent place of worship.

An estimated £1m has been spent trying to solve structural problems at St Mary's Anglican parish church, off Cold Bath Road, Harrogate.

Experts have told church officials that the problem cannot be solved unless every brick in the 87-year-old building is replaced.

To alert the wider community to St Mary's crisis, its vicar, the Reverend Martin Soar, called a public meeting attended by more than 50 people.

Mr Soar told the gathering that neither he nor his church council could ask anyone to part with more money.

He said investigative work would cost £75,000, and specialist architects had already advised that it would not provide a solution.

He said: "The best professional advice is that the scientific, historical and common sense evidence shouts aloud 'no' to any more money being put into conservation attempts for St Mary's."

The Grade II*-listed building, a well-known feature of Harrogate's skyline, has fatal construction flaws.

Mr Soar said the church did not believe a restoration project would achieve the overriding objective of making a difference to people in the communities of Low Harrogate and Harlow Hill.

He said: "We have been advised by the Church Commissioners that the conservation argument about the church will prevail.

"Therefore, we are looking at ways in which St. Mary's building could have a possible future use as an historic Harrogate building.

"As a parish church serving the community, however, we ourselves cannot be involved financially in such a huge and uncertain conservation project."

He said discussions with the Church Commissioners and the Diocese of Ripon and Leeds were centring on how the church council could relinquish ownership of St. Mary's and develop the church hall as its main centre.