Council U-turn on abbey plan

The Buddhist group planned to spend £6m restoring the abbey

The future of an historic abbey is back in the balance after concerns were raised over plans to turn it into a Buddhist centre.

Two weeks ago the Jamyang Buddhist group was given the go-ahead for its £6m plan to restore Delapre Abbey in Northamptonshire.

The group wanted to buy the lease on the abbey and spend millions of pounds restoring the Grade II* listed building.

The group planned to open it up to the local community.

Now Northamptonshire County Council has changed its mind after concerns were raised.

Councillor Tim Hadland said when the council agreed to lease the building to the Jamyang Buddhists, they made it clear they had to establish community links and bond with the community.

"They have effectively been prevented from doing that, not through any of their own shortcomings but by community hostility locally," he said,

Opponents to the Buddhists' plan include the Friends of Delapre Abbey, which has 2,000 members.

The friends have been fighting for years to restore the old building which has been empty for 10 years.

"We really need to all get round the table and talk about this and get this building up and running before it falls down," said Graham Walker, of the friends.

The Grade II* listed building has been empty for 10 years

The Buddhist group has yet to comment on the council's change of heart.

The focus is now the setting up of a charitable trust for the abbey and applying for funding from the National Lottery.

Most of the abbey dates from the 17th and 18th Centuries.

Its park is the site of one of the 13th Century resting places for the body of Queen Eleanor as it was transported to London for burial.

It is also famed as the site of the Battle of Northampton in 1460 during the War of the Roses.

The abbey was bought by Northampton Borough Council after World War II and became home to its records office.