Reordering

The Team Vicar and Churchwardens sought a faculty for a new screen dividing the north aisle from the rest of the church and for the extension and refurbishment of the kitchen in the north aisle of the Grade II* listed church. The church’s interior was extensively reordered in 1979 by the notable architects Maguire and Murray, whose distinctive screen enclosed the north aisle. Following a reorientation of the seating to eastward facing, the screen no longer served its intended liturgical purpose and was viewed as visually discordant. The Chancellor considered representations from the Twentieth Century Society, which urged retention of the original screen due to its architectural significance. Applying the Duffield framework, the Chancellor found that the proposals would cause only modest harm to the building’s significance, outweighed by clear benefits to worship, mission, and community use. The kitchen improvements were uncontroversial, and the new screen was deemed more harmonious. The works, funded by two legacies, were approved. A faculty was granted subject to DAC agreement on kitchen layout details, with completion required within twelve months.

Several items of reordering were proposed, including new toilet and kitchen facilities, removal of some pews, relocation of the font, construction of a narthex screen, a glazed internal entrance with a pair of frameless glass doors and refurbishment of the porch entrance. Notwithstanding concerns raised by the Georgian Society regarding some of the pews to be removed and the proposed relocation of the font, the Chancellor granted a faculty for all the works, being satisfied that the petitioners had demonstrated a clear justification for the proposed works in terms of the church’s worship, mission, and community outreach.

The petitioners wished to install glass doors in a wooden frame to the outer archway of the church porch. The Diocesan Advisory Committee supported the proposal. Of the amenity societies notified of the proposal, only the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings objected. The Chancellor was satisfied that a convincing case had been made for the proposal and that public benefit would outweigh any harm. He therefore granted a faculty.

The petition proposed several items of reordering, in order to adapt the church for both sacred and community use. The items included: replacement of the pews with chairs; replacement of the stone font with a moveable wooden font; removal of an old reed organ; creation of a lobby at the west end of the church, and kitchen, toilet and storage facilities; electrical wiring and light fittings; and water and space heating. The Chancellor was satisfied that the community would benefit from the new proposals and he granted a faculty.

A Faculty was granted for: (1) the removal of two short pews at the west end of the south aisle of a Grade I 14th century church and provision of additional bookshelf units; and (2) the removal of the rearmost pew on the south side of the nave to provide additional space for wheelchair users. The Chancellor, considered the principles laid down in Re St. Alkmund Duffield [2013], and determined that, "The selective removal of a very small number of pews will not affect the character of the church as a building of special architectural or historic interest."

A faculty was sought for the addition of a fully accessible lavatory, for a small kitchen facility and for roof repairs. The proposals were supported by the DAC, the planning authorities, the Victorian Society, the Church Buildings Council, English Heritage and the Ancient Monuments Society, but the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings was concerned at the cutting through of the fifteenth century west wall of the north aisle. It considered this intrusion into the fabric of the church to be unnecessary as a level external access was possible from the church to the lavatory. The Chancellor, after considering the questions in Re St. Alkmund Duffield, granted a Faculty for the works, including the internal access to the lavatory.

The proposed re-ordering was to facilitate a project by the diocese to establish a new congregation at the church, in association with Holy Trinity Brompton and its Churches Revitalisation Trust. The works included wheelchair access; the removal of a screen containing a kitchen and lobby; the introduction of a new screen to form a lobby to west door, incorporating a coffee bar and storage; a new external door; two screens under the tower to create a chapel; a screen to create a narthex; and the removal of an existing WC pod. The Chancellor granted a faculty.

A number of improvements were proposed to a 1950s unlisted church, including replacement of the felt roof covering with pre-coated zinc, replacement of windows; and improvements to the entrance to the church. The Twentieth Century Society objected to the proposals, but did not wish to become a party to the proceedings. Faculty granted.

The Petition related to internal re-ordering, including a new disabled toilet, new screens, new furniture, and removal of some pews. Objections from the Victorian Society, the Ancient Monuments Society, the Stafforfdshire Historic Buildings Trust and a regular worshipper at the church related to the replacement of the Victorian main entrance door, which was part of a re-ordering carried out by Gilbert Scott in 1842, and the insertion of new outer doors to the porch. The Deputy Chancellor granted a faculty, subject to (inter alia) a condition that the Gilbert Scott door should be retained in an appropriate place in the church, in view of its historical and architectural significance.

Petition for the removal of box pews, installation of new flooring and under-floor heating, WCs, a kitchen, and removal of the font. The whole project was dependent on the removal of the box pews. Faculty granted.