Michael Rennie: Housing plan for Yorkshire church where legendary The Day the Earth Stood Still actor rests

Michael Rennie, who famously appeared in the classic sci-fi movie The Day the Earth Stood Still in 1951, was born in Bradford and is buried at All Saints Church on Otley Road in Harrogate. He was a fixture of films and TV series for more than 30 decades until his death in 1971. He died in the town of Harrogate after suffering an aortic aneurysm while visiting his mother, and his ashes were interred at the cemetery.

He played roles including Kit Locksby in The Wicked Lady (1945), the Apostle Peter in The Robe (1953), Lord John Roxton in The Lost World (1960) and General Montgomery in The Battle of El Alamein (1969). He also famously appeared in cult 1960s TV series Batman as the arch-villain Sandman.

A planning application has been lodged with the council to convert the church itself into a three-bed home. The building, which was first opened as a cemetery chapel in 1871, has been empty for more than a decade after being hit by dry rot and damp.. It was designated as a grade II-listed building in 1975.

It is hoped the application will allow the building to take on a new lease of life after laying empty for more than a decade. The church last opened its doors in 2009 after being hit by dry rot and the damp but now may take on a new lease of life if the plans go ahead. The cemetery would be unaffected by the plans.