PLANS to overhaul a former church site in Worcester have stalled, as the land is still classed as holy ground.

The demolition of much-loved Holy Trinity and St Matthew's Church in Ronkswood has been completed, but an unexpected stumbling block has slowed progress.

Church bosses have confirmed the site, which housed The Drum from 1965, needs to be 'de-consecrated' before any further progress can be made.

The church was closed in December 2012 when part of its ceiling fell down and knocked down in November.

Mrs Hughes said: "It was a bit of a shock when we were told and the official wording was that we needed 'to remove the effects of consecration'.

"It's about taking away the holy ground, which means the land can be sold and that's the object of the exercise.

"It's more of a paperwork exercise really and we need to wait for it all to go through."

Once the removal of the impact of consecration has taken place, half of the land will be sold to be developed, with a community centre built on the remaining half.

Mrs Hughes said that any religious area in the community centre may then have to be 're-consecrated'.

She explained: "I would think that would have to be consecrated.

"One thing is that the ground has never been used as a graveyard or for interring ashes, and I don't think we'd use it for that.

"Once this is sorted we can start moving on, sell our half of the land and raise some money.

"Then we'll need to start applying for lottery funding in earnest."

Anyway who wishes to comment on the plan can post a letter to: Representations, Closed Churches Division, Church Commissioners, Church House, Great Smith Street, London, SW1P 3AZ, or email closedchurches.reps@churchofengland.org.

The deadline for comments is April 8.

Fundraising for the new building has already started, with unframed prints of the church available to buy at Ronkswood Post Office, in Lichfield Avenue, for £5.