St Peter’s Church in Gadebridge, Hemel Hempstead, is set to be demolished and the site transformed into a development containing nine eco-friendly two-bedroom council flats.
The building, which is opposite Galley Hill JMI School, has been vacant since 2004 and the flats will be Dacorum’s first new council homes built in more than 20 years.
The new development will include parking facilities, and will use technology to prevent wasted energy consumption in winter. This will mean it will cost just £100 to heat each flat for a year.
Cllr Margaret Griffiths, portfolio holder for housing, said: “This year we’re investing £14 million in our new-build programme – and this is just the start of our plans to create more homes for our residents in Dacorum.
“As soon as these homes are built, they will be offered for rent to households on our waiting list.”
Developers may yet face a set-back, however, after it was revealed that the site could be located close to a former chalk mine. That means they will need to meet certain conditions before construction can begin.