Reordering

The petition proposed the removal and disposal by sale of the existing 25 pews and their replacement with 125 Howe 40/4 chairs. The Deputy Chancellor granted a faculty.

The proposal was to introduce a ramp and steps just inside the north door, which is the main entrance to the Grade I church in regular use. English Heritage opposed the proposal. However, the Chancellor decided to grant a faculty subject to an amendment to the design suggested by English Heritage.

The works proposed by the petitioners included the removal of pews from the north and south aisles and the augmentation of toilet and kitchen facilities within the church. The Victorian Society objected to the removal of pews. Re St. Alkmund Duffield [2013] considered. Faculty granted.

There had originally been a proposal to sell the organ located in the church tower, and to use the space presently occupied by the organ to provide for kitchen and toilet facilities. The organ had not been used for many years, but had been installed shortly after the church had been built in the 19th century. However, the current petition was limited to the sale and removal of the organ. The Chancellor was satisfied in principal that the removal of the organ and installation of the kitchen and toilet facilities would benefit the church and the community, and he granted a faculty for the sale of the organ, provided that the sale would take place within two years, and provided also that the organ should remain as it is until the petitioners have permission from the Court to install the proposed kitchen and toilet facilities.

The petitioners applied for an amendment to a Faculty regarding the introduction of upholstered metal chairs to replace 7 pews that were removed under Faculty.  The Chancellor was persuaded that the chairs petitioned for would be appropriate in the particular circumstances of this case.

The petitioners sought a faculty to allow a temporary reordering, authorised by the Archdeacon, to remain permanently. This included a children's area at the west end of the church, the removal of a large painting from the west wall, the permanent removal of six pews, and an information 'Hub'. There were four objectors, of whom one became a party opponent. The Chancellor concluded that the impact of the proposed changes on the appearance of the church would be modest, and that the proposals for providing information about the church to a growing population were appropriate. He accordingly granted a faculty.

The proposed works to the church comprised electrical rewiring and new lighting; the installation of an audio-visual system; and a new heating system. The Diocesan Advisory Committee had some concerns about the proposal to install roof-mounted horizontal low temperature hot water radiant panel heaters. The Chancellor decided that the petitioners had shown a convincing argument for each part of the scheme and he granted a faculty.

In 2019, the Chancellor had granted a faculty to permit the installation of two Royal British Legion flags on the north wall of the chancel above the War Memorial. However, subsequently four flags were hung in the chancel, two on either side. Three were British Legion flags and one a military flag. This gave rise to some controversy and objections. The Chancellor determined that two British Legion flags should be returned to the position previously agreed for them above the war memorial, that the military flag should be put back where it was originally, behind the chancel arch, and the third British Legion flag should be removed from the church.

The proposals were to re-order the west end of the church, including (1) replacement of the outer west doors;  (2) relocation of the inner west screen doors to the bay of an arch between the chancel and the Lady Chapel; (3) creation of an entrance foyer at the west end with inner and outer screens and mezzanine floor above; and  (4) relocation of the font and its cover from the west end to the north aisle. Faculty granted, subject to the base of the font (designed by G.E. Street, architect of the Royal Courts of Justice) being retained, rather than replaced with a larger base, as proposed in the petition.

The faculty proposed changes to the heating sytem, removal of the side aisle pews and introduction of upholstered chairs to match the chairs in the centre of the nave, which had been authorised in 2015 to replace the nave pews. The Victorian Society objected to more upholstered seating. The Chancellor concluded that, "It would not be reasonable to deny the petitioners more of the same sort of chair", and granted a faculty.