THE vicarage of the historic Priory Church in Christchurch will be rented out while a new priest is appointed.

An application has been made to Christchurch Borough Council to allow a condition to be changed on the planning permission of the new building.

Currently only the vicar, his spouse and children are allowed to live in the property which is estimated to have cost between £400,000 and £600,000 to build.

It was unveiled earlier this year.

Plans for the new vicarage, built for former Priest-in-Charge Reverend Chris Mann, triggered a row between conservation groups and planners.

The property lies just behind the former Grade II listed vicarage in Quay Road, which has been recently sold for an undisclosed fee.

The property is currently believed to be empty following the departure of Reverend Mann.

His departure came as a shock to many parishioners, after he announced he was leaving in June via Twitter.

A spokesperson for the diocese said: “Many dioceses in the Church of England let vicarages for a six-month period during a vacancy.

“Although this is very common, it was not specifically covered in the original planning consent and the additional consent being sought will place Christchurch in the same position as other parishes in Winchester Diocese.

“The diocese is a charity and needs to make sure that it uses its assets to support its charitable work, which is what it hopes to do by renting out the property. The actual details of an individual letting arrangement are a private matter between the diocese and the renting party so we can’t comment on those.

“The former Priest in Charge moved on at the end of July and the recruitment process for a new member of clergy is now well advanced.

“Interviews will be held during December. Standard notice periods for clergy moving to new posts mean that even when an offer has been accepted it will normally be months before they take up their new duties, but we are looking forward to the arrival of a new member of clergy to lead in the parish of Christchurch.”

The diocese refused to say how much rent will be charged and if the letting process will be opened to the general public.