Renewal Project

Renewing Putney Methodist Church for the 21st Century

Read about how we are planning a major renewal of our building in the coming years, in collaboration with our architects MEB Design Ltd.

Putney Methodist Church has been part of the life of this area for over 150 years. Our building, first opened in 1870 and partly rebuilt after the Second World War, is a much-loved local landmark and a well-used community space.

In recent years, though, we have been asking an important question: "How can we ensure that this building continues to meet the needs of our mission and community in the decades to come?" Our renewal project is our answer to that question.

Our Vision and Ambitions

Our ambition is simple but far-reaching: to ensure that Putney Methodist Church is a place where everyone feels welcome, where the building supports our mission and community use, and where we act responsibly in caring for the environment.

As a Christian community, we believe that welcome, inclusion and care for creation are not optional extras but central to our faith. Our building should reflect those values in how it looks, how it works, and how it is used.

Why Change Is Needed

Despite being well-maintained and widely used, the building has some serious limitations.

The most significant is access. The main entrance on Gwendolen Avenue has steps, which create real difficulties for wheelchair users, people with limited mobility, parents with pushchairs, and others. For many years we have tried temporary or partial solutions, but none have provided a dignified, inclusive answer. At present, people with different levels of mobility often have to use different entrances, which we believe is neither welcoming nor acceptable.

There are also internal challenges. Our kitchen and toilet facilities are limited and do not meet modern expectations. The entrance area does not work as well as it could do as a place of welcome. Some parts of the building are also difficult to use independently, limiting how many groups can meet at the same time.

Finally, like many historic buildings, the church is energy-hungry. At a time of climate crisis, we want to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels and play our part in creating a more sustainable future.

What We Are Planning to Do

Our plans bring together three connected strands of renewal and has been created by our partners, MEB Design Ltd. 

1. A single, fully accessible entrance

We plan to create a permanent, step-free entrance from Gwendolen Avenue using a carefully designed ramp and steps. This will allow everyone to enter the church in the same way, safely and with dignity, while respecting the character of this Grade II listed building.

2. Improvements inside the building

Internally, we plan to reconfigure some spaces to create a more welcoming entrance area, improve kitchen and toilet facilities (including accessible toilets), and allow greater flexibility so that different activities can take place at the same time. These changes will support worship, community use, and outreach.

3. Environmental improvements

As part of essential roof renewal, we plan to install solar panels on the south-facing roof slope and move towards low-carbon heating. This will significantly reduce our carbon footprint, lower running costs, and contribute clean energy to the wider community.

What We Have Achieved So Far

This project has been several years in the making. During that time, we have:

• Consulted widely within the congregation and with professional advisers

• Appointed experienced architects with expertise in historic buildings, MEB Design Ltd, following a rigorous procurement exercise.

• Carried out accessibility audits, structural assessments and energy studies.

• Worked closely with Methodist heritage bodies and local planning officers to satisfy their concerns and requirements.

• Refined the design to balance access, sustainability and heritage concerns.

All of this work has led to a robust and carefully considered final proposal.

The Latest Development: Planning Permission Granted

Before Christmas, 2025, we were delighted to learn that after 18 months of hard work we had finally satisfied the stringent requirements placed on us as a listed building with both the Methodist Church's Listed Buildings Advisory Committee (LBAC) and the Planning Department of Wandsworth Council. This was a major piece of work, requiring a significant commitment of resources on our part and a lot of hard work from our architects , MEB Design Ltd.

This is a major milestone. It confirms that the Council recognises the public benefits of the scheme, including improved accessibility and environmental sustainability, and that these benefits outweigh the limited and carefully managed impact on the historic building.

Perhaps most significantly, we managed to persuade the Council - after significant lobbying - that the ethical and moral imperatives of the Climate Crisis outweighed narrow heritage concerns, allowing us to install a significant solar panel array on the southern flank of our proposed new roof. This will enable us to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels significantly and make an important commitment to the Methodist Church's overall goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2030, as set out in its statement, Hope in God's Future.

Planning permission allows us to move forward with confidence into the next stage of the project.

What Happens Next

The next phase will focus on detailed design and cost certainty. Working with our architects and specialist consultants, we will:

• develop detailed technical drawings;

• finalise specifications and materials;

• prepare a comprehensive and realistic cost plan; and 

• plan how the works could be delivered in practice.

Only once this work is complete will we be able to confirm the final budget and construction timetable.

Alongside this, we will be developing a fundraising strategy. While the church has already invested significant time and resources in reaching this point, external funding will be essential if we are to deliver the project fully.

Looking Ahead

This renewal project is about much more than bricks and mortar. It is about ensuring that Putney Methodist Church can continue to be a place of welcome, worship, service and community life for generations to come.

We are excited by what lies ahead and grateful for the support and encouragement we have received so far. We look forward to sharing further updates as the project progresses.