EBL News

A new era has dawned for a landmark village chapel after a multimillion pound investment by Cheshire construction company EBL Group. St Faith's Mission, in Preston on the Hill, dates back to 1887 and is a well-known local building close to the Bridgewater canal. It was rescued by EBL Group in 2007 at a property auction televised by hit BBC property show Homes Under the Hammer. EBL Group managing director Eddie Basnett saw off several competitors in frenzied bidding to win the run-down Victorian chapel for £280,000 - three times the guide price.

Since then a specialist heritage team at the Halton-based construction and development business has been working on giving St Faith's Mission a new lease of life. Mr Basnett said: "It's been a labour of love from start to finish. The chapel was really sad and neglected when we took it on. "When we first walked in there were pews, prayer books, a font, pulpit and an organ. It was all left as though someone had walked out after a service, locked the door and then never come back. "We had a vision and even though it's taken almost a decade it's finally come to pass."