ONCE hailed as “the gateway to Birkenhead�, the abysmal condition of Oxton Congregational Church, Balls Road, encapsulates the dither and prevarication blighting modern life.
The sandstone Grade-II listed building closed a decade ago. The nearby Christian Centre’s offer (for youth and community uses) was topped by property developers, whose purpose was never clearly defined. Now the church is derelict with floral tributes, drooping outside, dedic- ated to a man who fatally fell from the roof. No authority has taken any steps to rectify this wretched state of affairs – surely a display of dead flowers is not a fitting method of honouring his memory.