A DORSET church which has not been used for five years is to be converted into a home.

Planning officials were told that if the conversion had not been allowed the grade 2 listed building was likely to have an uncertain future.

The planning consent approved by Dorset Council includes adding a new door in the vestry wall and changing part of an adjoining field to become a garden. A detached garage will also be built together with a new driveway.

The Church of St Thomas at East Orchard, near Shaftesbury, has suffered from subsidence since the 1970s and had already deteriorated into a state beyond repair when the Diocese of Salisbury discontinued services in 2018.

The property was marketed for sale in 2021 and 2022 for commercial use, but failed to find a buyer, with an offer finally made for conversion to a home.

Said planning agents: “A change of use to residential will essentially save this Grade ll listed building from suffering further deterioration and ensure an important local landmark is restored and enhanced for many future generations to appreciate.”

The church was built in 1859 and will remain much as it is externally with the addition of four conservation windows to the north side of the roof, and a sewage tank added to the grounds.

Internally the building will be transformed into a 3-bed home with a mezzanine floor.

An air source heat pump is planned for the converted building to work in conjunction with a mechanical ventilation and heat recovery system, with the possibility of solar panels, if needed, on the adjoining plot of land.

A public meeting at Manston Village Hall to discuss the proposed changes in October saw everyone there supporting the plans, several offering to write to Dorset Council to back the conversion.

One objection to the change came from the relative of someone buried in the churchyard who said that it would not feel appropriate to visit the grave knowing that someone was living in the former church.