Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Marsha De Cordova and Josh Babarinde

Thursday 16th October 2025 Commons Chamber

[Marsha De Cordova]

My thoughts and prayers are with those communities affected by the tragic attack at Heaton Park synagogue, as well as that at the mosque in Sussex. The Church of England responded by offering direct support through its Manchester interfaith adviser, who worked closely with the authorities and is known and respected in the local community. The Church Urban Fund, including the near neighbours programme, has played a vital role in strengthening community relations, as does the Church’s presence and engagement initiative.

Across the House, we all know the important role that all our faith organisations play, showing leadership in times of desperate need and suffering. I thank all our faith leaders across the country for all they do in fostering good relations, but also in bringing about peace and reassurance.

[Josh Babarinde (Eastbourne) (LD)]

Will the hon. Lady recognise the awesomeness of the Rev. David Harrigan at St Elisabeth’s church in Eastbourne? Working with the food bank, he has pioneered a partnership that has been featured by the Trussell Trust as an example of best practice for a relationship between a church leader and a food bank. Will the hon. Lady meet Rev. David and me to discuss the Church Commissioners’ plans for the land next to St Elisabeth’s church, to ensure that it is used for community benefit?

[Marsha De Cordova]

I am always happy to meet hon. Members about any issue they wish to raise. I pay tribute to the hon. Gentleman’s church, which is working in partnership with the food bank. There are many such examples, including at St Mark’s church in my constituency. We all know the role that our churches play in our communities to provide that social action support. I am very happy to meet the hon. Gentleman.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Marsha De Cordova and Josh Babarinde

Thursday 17th October 2024 Commons Chamber

[Marsha De Cordova]

As the hon. Member highlights, there is so much that the Church does by way of outreach in our communities. It also ensures that there is good infrastructure to protect all our communities, including children and young people.

[Josh Babarinde (Eastbourne) (LD)]

2. What steps the Church is taking to support the development of housing on derelict former church sites.

[Marsha De Cordova]

When a church is closed, a formal legal process under the Mission and Pastoral Measure 2011 is followed. There are currently 127 cases in which a new use is being found for closed church buildings; only two are cleared sites, and they are waiting for disposal.

[Josh Babarinde]

I welcome the hon. Lady to her place. Eastbourne declared a housing emergency last year, and the key thing we need to do to address that emergency is build our way out of it. The commissioners preside over a perfect brownfield site for housing: the site of the former St Elisabeth’s church on Victoria Drive, just down the road from where I went to school. It has been derelict for 20 years, and since the church on the site was demolished four years ago, there has been no sign of development whatsoever. I urge the commissioners to develop that site into affordable housing, and I appeal to the hon. Lady for an urgent update on the situation.

[Marsha De Cordova]

Since 2022, the Church Commissioners have been working with the diocese of Chichester to market the site and find a developer. I am pleased to say that a developer is in the process of agreeing to a conditional contract for a mixed-use development that will include convenience retail and housing, some of which will be much-needed affordable housing, which the hon. Member mentioned. That development will need planning permission, and that is being explored with the local authority now.