A historic church could be set to remove it sandstone paving stones after being hit by “repeated” thefts. All Souls Church, on Astley Street in Halliwell, is ranked as a Grade II listed building and can trace its history back to the 1880s. But the Churches Conservation Trust have now applied to Bolton Council to remove the sandstone paving at the north side of the building.
A statement said: “Thefts began in recent years and are ongoing, with further stones stolen from the site in April 2024. “The CCT have implemented several measures to protect the church and site including building surveillance and out of hours security provision. The paving stones that the church aims to remove (Image: Churches Conservation Trust) “In addition to this, the building is open to the public during the week and available for use on weekends.
“In response to the ongoing theft, the CCT ensures affected areas are made safe by carrying out temporary repairs to infill the voids.” All Souls was taken into the care of the Churches Conservation Trust in 1987 and since then has been used a community centre and conference space with a café and office space. The trust now owns and operates the site as a community asset after a major conservations and rebuilding project around 10 years ago.
With stones have been stolen in April this year, after a series of thefts in recent years, the trust has been carrying out temporary repairs. This comes after similar cases around the country that have i.