A historic Island building is to be handed over to a building preservation trust after a legal enforcement.

Swale council will complete a compulsory purchase order (CPO) for Sheerness Dockyard Church tomorrow (Friday) after working behind the scenes since April 2012.

It will then pass on the Grade II* listed property to The Spitalfields Trust.

The group intends to convert the landmark to provide a community space, small business units and possibly a display area for a 40ft square model of the dockyard made in the 1830s and currently in the care of English Heritage.

Will Palin, Sheppey resident and trustee of The Spitalfields Trust, said: “The compulsory purchase of the church and the vesting of the building in the care of a preservation trust represents a great moment both for Sheppey and the whole region.

“This is a magnificent building which has languished unloved for too long. Now, thanks to the perseverance and vision of the council and the support of English Heritage, it is in safe hands and plans for its restoration can be taken forward.”

Gerry Lewin, Swale’s deputy leader, said: “Local residents are passionate about their heritage and for that reason the council has worked tirelessly to find a solution to one of the borough’s most important threatened listed buildings.

“Securing a future for this prominent building and bringing the dockyard model back to Sheerness where it belongs will be a real boost to Sheerness and to the borough as a whole.”

The church has been empty since a fire in 2001 and was bought in 2005 by developer David Watson for £110,000.

In 2008, he was granted planning permission on appeal to convert the 19th century building into 22 flats and build five terraced houses but when the permission expired, an application for an extension was turned down.

Mr Watson called the situation a “complete farce”.

He said: “The Spitalfields Trust and Swale Borough Council are looking to spend £5 million of tax payers’ money, whether that comes from lottery grants or government grants it’s all public money, on developing a building where the developer would be prepared to do it for nothing.

“Sheppey needs schools and hospitals, not a historic building that no one is going to visit.”