Members of the congregation are advised that, following the recent departure of the remaining persons authorised to conduct ordinary worship at the Chapel of St Letus Salata, no replacement appointment has been made.

The Committee has been informed that enquiries may continue through the proper channels. No timescale has been provided, and members should not make separate approaches unless specifically asked to do so.

For the avoidance of doubt, this notice does not close the Chapel permanently. It does not transfer the building, furnishings, records or other Chapel effects to any outside body.

Until further instruction is received, ordinary worship cannot continue at this location.

The Chapel may still be accessed by authorised keyholders for inspection, cleaning, checking of post, and other necessary purposes, on the condition that nothing is removed from the building.

Further notices will be placed on the Chapel noticeboard as and when there is something definite to report.

Signed
Acting Secretary
Chapel of St Letus Salata

Purpose: To discuss whether the Chapel of St Letus Salata should be opened again for ordinary use by former members and neighbours.
Location: Chapel yard, moving indoors once the side door was made to open.

Present:

• Jean Hutton
• Geoff Thomas
• Mary Jackson
• Henry and Gayle Spackmore
• Glyn Huffmorton
• Two others who did not sign the sheet but assisted with chairs

Apologies:

• Simon Potts, who had another commitment but sent word that a website may be possible in due course.

1. Opening Of Door

The side door was opened at approximately 14:05 after some difficulty with the lower part of the lock.

It was agreed that this did not constitute forced entry because a key was used, even though it had to be turned while the door was being pushed from the other side.

2. Condition Of Building

Those present noted:

• Dust on pews and windowsills.
• Evidence of damp near the west wall.
• Two hymn books swollen by moisture.
• A bucket under the nave roof, containing rainwater and dead insects.
• Vestry door stiff but openable.

Glyn advised that whilst the building was not in a good condition it was “better than leaving it shut”, which was accepted by those present as a professional survey and not, as Glyn later clarified, a passing comment.

3. Future Use

It was agreed that the Chapel should resume ordinary use where safe to do so, including:

• Sunday gatherings.
• Seasonal events.
• Tea and refreshments.
• Meetings about the Chapel.
• Cleaning and maintenance sessions.
• Occasional talks, readings, and local matters.

It was noted that no clergy or authorised religious leader was present. Therefore, any gathering should avoid presenting itself as formal worship, instruction, doctrine, or prayer-led activity unless and until proper authority is restored.

4. Refreshments

Jean proposed that refreshments should resume as soon as practicable because this was the part people had mentioned most often.

It was agreed:

• Tea may be served if the kettle is safe.
• Milk should be brought fresh and not kept in the vestry.
• Biscuits should be plain to begin with, pending clarification of existing funds.

5. Keys

Known keys were held by:

• Jean Hutton.
• Geoff Thomas.
• Glyn Huffmorton.

It was agreed that keyholding should be reviewed at a later meeting.

6. Decision

Those present agreed that the Chapel should be opened again for limited ordinary community use, subject to safety, common sense, and the building not getting worse as a direct result.

Decision carried by general agreement.

Meeting closed at 15:18.

Recorded retrospectively from notes and memory.

To: The Occupiers and/or Persons Present at the former Chapel of St Letus Salata

The Council has been made aware that the premises known locally as the Chapel of St Letus Salata have recently been entered and used by persons who may not hold formal authority to occupy or manage the building.

The Council’s records indicate that the Chapel ceased to operate as a place of worship some years ago and that no recognised body has since been identified as having continuing responsibility for ordinary occupation.

The Council is concerned that:

1. The premises may not be insured for public use.
2. The building may not have been inspected for safety.
3. Access arrangements are unclear.
4. Keys appear to be in circulation without a current register.
5. Public gatherings may be taking place without an identified responsible body.

The Council therefore gives notice that it is reviewing the position and may seek possession of the premises if satisfactory evidence of lawful occupation, safe management, and continuing community benefit is not provided.

Any person or group claiming a right to remain in occupation should provide written evidence of:

• The basis on which they occupy the premises.
• The length and continuity of occupation.
• The nature of current use.
• Arrangements for safety, access, insurance, maintenance, and public conduct.
• The names of persons responsible for opening, closing, and record keeping.

This letter should not be taken as accepting that any such right exists.

A response is requested within 28 days.

Council Property and Community Buildings Office

Copy retained in Chapel records with envelope.
Handwritten note at foot:
Geoff to draft reply. Jean says do not ignore. Glyn says ask what they have ever done about the roof.

1. Introduction

This statement records the continued occupation and ordinary use of the Chapel of St Letus Salata by former members of the congregation and local users.

The Chapel has not been abandoned by those who use it. Its formal religious arrangements lapsed, but its community use, social function, maintenance, and local importance continued.

2. Background

In the early 1990s, the remaining religious leaders stepped down and no replacement was appointed. The congregation was not formally disbanded. No clear instruction was given as to the future of the building, keys, contents, records, noticeboard, or ordinary arrangements.

During the period of reduced use, members continued to check the building and still regard it as their Chapel.

3. Resumption Of Ordinary Use

On 14 April 1996, former members met at the Chapel and agreed to resume limited ordinary use.

This included:

• Sunday gatherings.
• Meetings.
• Cleaning.
• Seasonal events.
• Refreshments.
• Building checks.
• Local social use.

Please see the Minutes for more information.

No attempt has been made to conduct formal worship without authority. Gatherings have proceeded as non-doctrinal observances, community meetings, and Chapel business.

4. Evidence Of Use

Evidence available includes:

• Attendance sheets.
• Refreshment rota notes.
• Keyholder notes.
• Cleaning records.
• Informal minutes.
• Donations and collection records.
• Notices placed at the Chapel.
• Repairs and inspections undertaken by users.
• Witness accounts from regular attendees.

Some records are incomplete because no one from the Council provided proper forms at the time.

5. Maintenance And Responsibility

Chapel users have:

• Opened and closed the premises.
• Kept the building ventilated where possible.
• Moved buckets under leaks.
• Removed spoiled paper and damp hymn books.
• Checked doors and windows.
• Cleared leaves from the entrance.
• Maintained the tea area.
• Reported or discussed repairs.

The building would be in worse condition had local users not continued to attend to it.

6. Community Benefit

The Chapel remains valuable because it provides:

• A familiar place for regular company.
• Low-cost social gatherings.
• Seasonal events.
• A meeting place for neighbours.
• Practical support among older and isolated residents.
• Continuity with local history.
• A reason for people to leave the house, which should not be underestimated.

The loss felt most keenly during the period of reduced use was not administrative. It was the loss of company, routine, tea, seasonal gatherings, and seeing familiar faces.

7. Position Of Chapel Users

The Chapel users do not accept that the building is abandoned. They have occupied, used, maintained, and valued it over a long period.

The users ask the Council to recognise the continued community use of the Chapel and to refrain from seeking possession where no practical community benefit would result from removing the people who are keeping it alive.

Prepared for retention with Chapel records.

To: Council Property and Community Buildings Office

Dear Sir or Madam,

Thank you for your letter dated 6 June 1997 regarding the Chapel of St Letus Salata.

We do not accept that the Chapel has been abandoned, nor do we accept that those currently using it are doing so without proper authorisation.

The Chapel’s previous arrangements for worship have lapsed, as you know. However, the building was never handed over to the Council by the people using it, and no clear instruction was given to members that they should stop maintaining the building or using the premises for ordinary Chapel purposes.

In the absence of clergy or appointed religious leadership, former members and local users have continued to keep the Chapel in use as far as they reasonably can. This has included Sunday gatherings, meetings, seasonal events, cleaning, building checks and refreshments.

We enclose a statement of long-term occupation setting out the position in more detail.

For clarity:

1. The Chapel is being used.
2. The Chapel has been used over a prolonged period.
3. Keys have remained in the hands of authorised members of the congregation.
4. The building has been checked, opened, aired, cleaned, and maintained by those users.
5. The Chapel continues to provide community benefit.
6. The users do not accept that their prolonged use should be treated as if it began only when the Council noticed it.

You have asked for evidence of use. We are gathering this from attendance notes, refreshment records, cleaning notes, keyholder recollections, notices, and minutes. Some of these records are informal because nobody told us in 1993 that future use of the Chapel would depend on producing a file for Council review.

The users are willing to improve record keeping and to maintain clearer arrangements for keys, access, notices, and public conduct. We are not unwilling to be sensible. We are unwilling to be removed from a building we have continued to use, care for, and rely upon.

If the Council has concerns about safety, we will consider them properly. If the Council has concerns about paperwork, we will produce paperwork. If the Council has concerns about whether the Chapel remains useful, we invite the Council to attend on a Sunday and see for itself.

We therefore ask that the Council does not proceed with possession action and instead recognises the Chapel’s continuing community use.

Yours faithfully,
Geoff Thomas
For and on behalf of the Chapel users of St Letus Salata
Enclosed:

• Statement Of Long-Term Occupation.
• Available attendance notes.
• Keyholder list.
• Notes of cleaning and maintenance.
• Extracts from refreshment records.

1. Purpose

This schedule records examples of continued Chapel use during the period after ordinary worship arrangements lapsed and before the Council’s attempted recovery of possession was resolved.

It is not a complete diary. It is a practical schedule prepared from available notes, recollections, attendance sheets, refreshment records, keyholder comments, and items found on the noticeboard.

Where exact times were not recorded, the entry should be read as approximate.

2. Schedule

3. Notes On Evidence

The evidence is mixed in quality because no single person was instructed to keep a complete record during the early part of the period.

Some notes were made on loose paper, backs of envelopes, refreshment lists, old service sheets, and a folded electricity bill. These have been retained where possible.

The absence of a record should not be taken as absence of use. It should be taken as evidence that the people using the Chapel were more concerned with keeping it open than designing a filing system.

4. Activities Demonstrated

The schedule demonstrates:

• Continued access by keyholders.
• Building checks.
• Cleaning.
• Maintenance attention.
• Informal meetings.
• Refreshment provision.
• Sunday gatherings.
• Seasonal use.
• Record keeping, even if imperfect.
• Continuity of local attachment.
• Resumption of ordinary Chapel business before Council correspondence.

5. Committee Comment

The Committee considers this schedule evidence that the Chapel was not abandoned.

1. Purpose

This record summarises the outcome of the Council’s attempt to recover possession of the Chapel of St Letus Salata following questions raised about occupation, access, authority, and continuing use.

It is retained with the Chapel records because the matter may be misunderstood if discussed from memory only.

2. Background

On 6 June 1997, the Council wrote to the occupiers and/or persons present at the former Chapel of St Letus Salata.

The Council expressed concern that the Chapel had ceased to operate as a place of worship, that no recognised body had been identified as responsible for ordinary occupation, and that local users appeared to have resumed access without formal instruction.

Chapel users responded by providing a statement of long-term occupation dated 2 July 1997, together with supporting information concerning:

• Continued attendance.
• Keyholding.
• Cleaning.
• Building checks.
• Refreshments.
• Seasonal events.
• Informal meetings.
• Maintenance activity.
• The congregation not having been formally disbanded.

3. Council Position

The Council did not accept all points advanced by Chapel users.

In particular, the Council did not accept that every person with a key was necessarily authorised to enter the premises.

However, the Council stated that whilst the building had not been wholly abandoned, local users had continued to enter, maintain, and use the premises over a prolonged period.

4. Outcome

The Council did not proceed successfully with recovery of possession.

The Chapel users therefore remained in occupation.

This outcome should not be described as the Council “giving us the Chapel”, “backing down completely”, “losing everything”, or “being beaten by Jean’s admin folder”, even if some members feel this captures the spirit of events.

The practical position is that Chapel users may continue ordinary community use of the premises, subject to the building being used responsibly and the Chapel continuing to demonstrate public value.

5. Conditions And Expectations

The following expectations were noted:

• Chapel use should remain community-focused.
• The building should not be used for private gain.
• Public access should be managed safely.
• Records of meetings, services, events, and attendance should be kept where practical.
• Maintenance concerns should be recorded.
• The Council should be informed of significant safety matters.
• The Chapel should continue to show that it is a community asset.

6. Committee Note

The Committee considers the outcome satisfactory.

Members are reminded that remaining in occupation depends on behaving as though the Chapel is a serious community building.

Records and minutes should therefore be kept properly. These are not merely paperwork and may be needed at a later date.

7. Record Status

This record is a Chapel summary of the matter and should be read alongside:

• Council Notice Seeking Possession, 6 June 1997.
• Statement Of Long-Term Occupation, 2 July 1997.
• Chapel Users’ Constitution.

• All later periodic community asset evidence reports.

1. Name

The group shall be known as the Chapel Users of St Letus Salata, referred to in this document as “the Chapel users”.
This name does not alter the name of the building, which remains the Chapel of St Letus Salata, known informally as The Tin Chapel.

2. Purpose

The purpose of the Chapel users is to:

• Keep the Chapel in ordinary community use.
• Maintain the building and contents as far as resources allow.
• Arrange services, observances, meetings, events, and social gatherings.
• Preserve records and archive material.
• Provide refreshments where practical.
• Demonstrate continuing community value.
• Manage access, conduct, and Chapel business in an orderly way.

The Chapel users do not appoint clergy, provide religious instruction, or claim authority beyond the proper care and use of the Chapel.

3. Membership

Membership is open to persons who:

• Attend Chapel services, observances, meetings, or events.
• Volunteer for Chapel activity.
• Support the Chapel’s continued community use.
• Are accepted by the Committee as acting in good faith.

The Committee may maintain a register of members for administrative purposes.

Being on a mailing list, signing the guestbook, attending once by mistake, or entering the yard while looking for the footpath does not automatically confer membership.

4. Committee

The Committee is responsible for ordinary management of Chapel business.

Roles may include:

• Chair.
• Caretaker.
• Secretary.
• Treasurer.
• Keyholder coordinator.
• Archive lead.
• Refreshments lead.
• Council liaison.

Where a role is vacant, the Committee may appoint a temporary responsible person or ask Geoff, provided Geoff has not already taken on too much and is complaining about it.

5. Meetings

The Committee should meet at least quarterly.

Additional meetings may be called where necessary, including after incidents, urgent repairs, council correspondence, disputes, or any matter where a decision is required urgently.

Meetings should be minuted. Where a decision is made informally, the decision should be recorded retrospectively if it affects Chapel use, money, access, safety or events.

6. Decisions

Ordinary decisions may be made by majority agreement of those Committee members present.

Urgent decisions may be made by the Chair and Caretaker where delay would create risk, loss, closure, or unnecessary public confusion.

Decisions involving money, building works, insurance, public safety, or the Council should be recorded.

7. Funds

Chapel funds must be used for Chapel purposes, including:

• Maintenance and repairs.
• Utilities and insurance.
• Printing, forms, stationery, and postage.
• Website and records.
• Refreshments.
• Events.
• Archive preservation.
• Other expenditure approved by the Committee.

Cash should be counted, recorded, and held securely. No person should borrow Chapel funds, even briefly, because that is how misunderstandings begin.

8. Keys And Access

Keys remain Chapel property.
Keyholders must:

• Sign the key register.
• Keep keys secure.
• Not make copies without approval.
• Lock up properly.
• Report loss immediately.
• Return keys when asked.

No keyholder may claim that having had a key “for years” means the key is personally theirs.

9. Records

The Chapel shall keep records of:

• Meetings.
• Notices.
• Services and events.
• Attendance where practical.
• Incidents and accidents.
• Complaints.
• Correspondence.
• Finance.
• Archive items.
• Keys.
• Maintenance and inspections.

Records may be published where appropriate, subject to privacy, safety, and common sense.

10. Conduct

Members and visitors should:

• Treat the Chapel, yard, records, and contents with care.
• Follow published guidance.
• Respect neighbours.
• Avoid obstructing the lane.
• Return chairs and equipment.
• Not interfere with locked cupboards.
• Raise complaints in writing where possible.

The Committee may ask a person to leave or not attend for a period where their conduct makes ordinary Chapel use difficult.

11. Amendments

This constitution may be amended by Committee decision, provided the change is recorded and made available to members.

12. Adoption

This constitution is adopted for the orderly continuation of Chapel use and should be reviewed annually.

1. Purpose

This evidence pack summarises why the Chapel of St Letus Salata remains a community asset and should continue to be available for community use.

The pack has been prepared because the Chapel’s continuing position depends on demonstrating ordinary, regular, and beneficial use.

2. Current Uses

The Chapel is currently used for:

• Sunday services and observances.
• Public meetings.
• Seasonal events.
• Computer Club.
• Talks and discussion evenings.
• Archive work.
• Refreshments and informal social contact.
• Community notices.
• Practical volunteering.
• Maintenance, cleaning, and inspections.

3. Community Benefits

The Chapel provides:

• A low-cost meeting place.
• Regular company for residents who might otherwise see few people.
• A neutral place for local concerns to be raised.
• Continuity with local history.
• Volunteer opportunities.
• A base for small clubs and interests.
• A reason for seasonal traditions to continue.
• Tea, biscuits, and somewhere to sit without having to buy a full meal.

4. Attendance Evidence

Attendance is recorded for services and events where practical.

Recent examples include:

The Committee accepts that not every event reaches its expected attendance.
This should not be interpreted as lack of value. It may instead show that expected attendance was optimistic.

5. Volunteer Activity

Volunteer activity includes:

• Opening and locking the Chapel.
• Moving chairs and pews.
• Cleaning after services.
• Maintaining the noticeboard.
• Managing keys.
• Preparing refreshments.
• Checking the building after weather.
• Cataloguing archive items.
• Producing forms and notices.
• Updating the website.

Much of this work is unpaid, and some of it is not even thanked at the time.

6. Maintenance And Stewardship

The Chapel users continue to identify, record, and address building matters, including:

• Roof leaks.
• Heating failures.
• Access issues.
• Yard surface concerns.
• Guttering.
• Cupboard storage.
• Key control.
• Forms and incident records.

The Chapel is actively maintained.

7. Social Contact

The Committee considers the social value of the Chapel to be significant.

Refreshments, ordinary conversation, seasonal gatherings, and regular company are not side matters. They are part of why the building remains useful. The Chapel gives people somewhere to go and someone to speak to, particularly where other local provision is limited, expensive, or located too far from the lane.

8. Conclusion

The Chapel remains in active community use.

Its value is demonstrated by attendance, volunteer work, events, records, maintenance, complaints, refreshments, and the fact that people continue to argue about arrangements because they expect the Chapel to continue existing.

The Committee therefore asks that the Chapel continue to be recognised as a community asset and that its users be allowed to remain, provided safe and ordinary use continues.

Prepared by Geoff Thomas, Caretaker.