A chapel that provided religious and pastoral care for hospital patients for over a century, is in danger of being sold off.

Epsom’s Residents' Association (RA) council announced on Facebook it is planning to sell off the Grade II-listed Horton Chapel if an alternative use is not found for it.

March 2013: Residents and community groups needed for Horton Chapel conversion

October 2012: Horton Chapel conversion needed to "build stronger communities" in Epsom

The RA were in talks with Central Surrey Health about the possible sale of the site near Horton Country Park, but the community health provider pulled out.

It has been empty for 12 years.

Residents' Association councillor Neil Dallen was disappointed that CSH Surrey had pulled out but insisted the chapel would only be sold off to the "right buyer".

He said: "We want to get rid of the chapel because it is not earning money or doing any good at the moment, but we are not going to sell to just anyone.

"It would have to be for community use and for health. If someone came along with the right offer we would be interested.

"We had a proposal along those lines that we thought was going to go ahead, but the key partner pulled out.

"If someone came along and said we want to put an office or houses there, the answer would be no, because of the covenants."

Horton Chapel in Haven Way was built in 1901 to serve patients of five nearby mental hospitals.

It was later taken over to serve wounded soldiers during the First and Second World Wars, before closing in 2003.

Ownership of the chapel was transferred to Epsom and Ewell Borough Council in 2004 on the condition that it was used as a community space.

The council received payments of £385,000, £140,000 and £500,000 on condition that the chapel would be used for recreational purposes, family medical or health services.

With no appropriate offer being made, the payments of more than £1million are currently being held in a trust fund, and the site remains unused.

Epsom and Ewell Labour Party is holding a meeting on Sunday, October 18 to discuss possible uses for the chapel.

Labour councillor Kate Chinn remains optimistic that the chapel can be of use to the people of Epsom.

She said: "We are opposed to any sell-off and are fighting to bring it back into use for the benefit of the community.

"We think the Residents' Association should be much more pro-active about marketing the chapel and in looking for uses that will benefit the residents of the borough.

"A decision to sell it has not been made yet. We don’t want that as a foregone conclusion.

"We will fight for it with the residents."

Epsom and Ewell Labour Party is holding a meeting on Sunday, October 18 to launch a campaign to save the chapel and find possible alternative uses.

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