AN HISTORIC town church is falling into disrepair to the dismay of many residents.

The New Church of St John the Evangelist, High Street, Snodland, has not been used by the public since it was bought by a West Malling family in about 1992.

Now, some people fear that tall trees growing close to the Grade II listed building will destroy its foundations with their roots.

They are also concerned that the owner, Aquil Ahmed, may want to let the church fall into a dangerous state in the hope of freeing the land for development.

Peter Wotton, who keeps records on clock towers in Kent, said: "This is a listed building and it should be the crowning glory of Snodland. It is an absolute disgrace that it is being left to rot like this."

Cllr George Chapman (Lab), a member of Snodland Town Council and Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council, said: "I've lived here nearly all my life. I think it's such a shame that a building like this should be allowed to go to rack and ruin and then we'll be left with a concrete office block or something."

Borough council officers will visit the church to see if there is any structural damage. Should they find any problems, the council can force the owner to pay for repairs.

Mr Ahmed, whose late father Shabbir Ahmed bought the church, said he shared the town's concerns about the state of the church but said that listed building planning laws had prevented him from putting it to community use.

He said: "My father, who was a doctor, originally planned to offer a primary care clinic to the community. Even the town council, which we offered the premises to for a return, was unable to use it as a youth centre type gymnasium because they were blocked by planning officers."

Mr Ahmed, of St Leonards Street, West Malling, said he would convert the church into a communal centre, an office or a shop if planning laws allowed.

He said: We don't really want it to go to rack and ruin but we have no means to maintain it."

The church was built in 1882 by the Hook family, which owned Snodland's paper mill. It is currently being used to store documents.