Reordering

The judgment relates to two faculty petitions, both relating to re-ordering. The Chancellor refused to grant a faculty for the removal of the chancel screen. The judgment contains a detailed discussion of the theological and doctrinal arguments put forward at the hearing.

To meet the increased needs of the church and the community, the proposal was for the creation of a meeting room between the vestry and the servery at the west end of the church. The proposed room would have bi-fold doors, which could be opened up to make the room part of the nave when needed. The work would involve re-siting the font. Contentious parts of the proposals were the depth and height of the meeting room and the fact that two pillars at the west end of the church would be obscured. The Chancellor granted a faculty, being satisfied that the justification for carrying out the proposals outweighed any potential harm. 

Faculty granted for re-ordering, including the creation of a complex of buildings for youth related activities, and removal and disposal of pews from the south aisle.

The petitioners wished, amongst other proposals for re-ordering, to remove the choir stalls from the chancel and level the floor, and also remove the Victorian chancel screen, in order to make the church more adaptable for worship, concerts and other uses. The Victorian Society objected to the removal of the chancel screen. Faculty granted.

An appeal by the Victorian Society against the decision of the Chancellor of the Diocese of Rochester to allow the removal from the church of a Victorian eight bay screen by Bodley & Garner and its reinstallation in a church in Leicestershire, which would necessitate the reduction of the screen by two bays. Appeal dismissed.

Faculty granted for extensive re-ordering, including removal of pews, new internal entrance lobby, moving of the font to a new position and introduction of a new sound reinforcement system.

The proposals included a dais, extending the chancel outwards beyond the choir and into the nave; removal of the back rows of choir stalls and re-positioning of the front rows; carpet for the dais and choir area; a portable altar and communion rails; alterations to the chancel arch; making the Lady chapel pews free-standing; and the removal of pews from the south aisle, to create a children's area. After considering the guidance given in Re St. Alkmund Duffield [2013], the Chancellor granted a faculty.

Faculty granted for various items of re-ordering, including moving from the chancel (but not removal from the church) of some choir stalls given in 1931 in memory of Emmeline Pankhurst.

The petition sought retrospective permission for various works of reordering carried out without faculty during the 1990s. In a previous judgment the Chancellor had required the Parochial Church Council to put forward some proposals for recording what the church was like before the reordering, including the names of donors of items which had been removed, and also proposals for displaying the regimental banners. The Chancellor did not grant a faculty for the works carried out in the 1990s, but approved the display of drawings showing how the church looked before the reordering and the display of the regimental banners.

The petitioners sought a faculty for the permanent removal of some pews and the installation of a fitted carpet in the south west corner of the church. These works had previously been authorised by archdeacon's licence, and the petition sought to make permanent this temporary experiment. English Heritage commended the project and the Victorian Society did not wish to comment. The Chancellor took into account two letters of objection from parishioners. Faculty granted.