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Alphabetical Index of all judgments on this web site as at 10 September 2024

Judgments indexed by Diocese:
2023 Judgments
2022 Judgments
2021 Judgments

Re St. Mary Balcombe [2015] Ruth Arlow Dep. Ch. (Chichester)

The Diocesan Advisory Committee recommended that the restoration of two windows at the east end of the church should be carried out by a stained glass contractor accredited by ICON (Institute of Conservation). The Parochial Church Council wished to engage a contractor who had previously carried out work at the church but was not so accredited. The Deputy Chancellor: " ... it would be unjudicial of me blindly to apply a blanket requirement for the ICON accreditation of contractors ... [the chosen contractor] clearly has a significant number of years’ experience working on similar projects to the acclaim of well-respected professionals. He has considered and addressed concerns raised by the CBC and is clearly sympathetic to conservation concerns and the need to preserve originality where possible." Faculty granted.

Re St. Mary Bampton Proper [2020] ECC Oxf 6

Part way through a restoration program for the church organ (which was authorised by faculty in 2015), the organ builder had died and the dismantled organ had been moved to another organ builder for storage. The petitioners now wished to continue the restoration work and to return the organ in its previous position against the east wall of the south transept, with the addition of some digital stops, to improve the projection of musical sound into the nave. The British Institute of Organ Studies and the Church Buildings Council objected to the addition of digital stops to the early 19th century organ. However, the Chancellor was satisfied that the petitioners had made a good case for the proposed restoration and improvement works and he granted a faculty.

Re St. Mary Barnes [2021] ECC Swk 10

The petitioners, who were the Team Rector, Team Vicar, Vice-Chair of the Parochial Church Council and a Churchwarden, sought a faculty to install a wall-mounted monument commemorating the Hoare Family of Barn Elms on the north wall of the Langton Chapel in the church. This was to replace a previous Hoare family memorial commemorating sixteen members of the Hoare family whose remains were buried in the vault of the church. The former memorial had been destroyed by a fire in the church in 1978. The Hoare family had for three centuries been benefactors of the church. However, although there were no objections to the proposal, the Chancellor felt that, in the current climate of "public interest in contested heritage issues", he had to address the issue of the connection of the Hoare family with the slave trade in the early 18th century. Having considered any potential arguments which could be raised, he decided to grant a faculty. None of the family members to be commemorated had links to the slave trade, but only a member of the family two generations earlier than the oldest of those to be commemorated.

Re St. Mary Battersea [2019] ECC Swk 4

A new lighting scheme had been prepared for the Grade I Georgian church. Historic England and the Local Planning Authority were concerned about the proposal to recess some spotlights into the ceiling. The petitioners were asked to consider alternative arrangements, and the favoured one involved four groups of five spotlights recessed into 'rafts' or slim panels suspended on wires close to the ceiling. The Chancellor granted a faculty.

Re St. Mary Beverley [2021] ECC Yor 2

The petition related to exterior stonework repairs to the south nave clerestory of the church, involving the replacement of one missing carved grotesque and eight eroded label stops. The theme for the carvings was to be pioneering women, the criteria for selection being: local connection, a weighting towards maths, the sciences, and engineering and also to include BAME representation within the group. The Chancellor considered that it was appropriate to allow the choices that had been made to represent women who had played a significant role in the advancement of science and human knowledge. He therefore granted a faculty.

Re St. Mary Billingshurst [2012] Mark Hill Ch. (Chichester)

Faculty granted for reordering, including underfloor heating, replacement of pews with chairs, enclosure of Lady Chapel and vestry, kitchenette, toilet, glass doors and lighting and audio-visual system.

Re St. Mary Bitton [2022] ECC Bri 3

A major reordering of the Grade I church was proposed. Much of the work related to adjusting floor levels, improving access and installing underfloor heating. Notwithstanding concerns expressed by the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings, the Church Buildings Council and Historic England, the Chancellor granted a faculty, being satisfied that the public benefit of greater accessibility would assist the church as a local centre of worship and mission.

Re St. Mary Bloxham [2021] ECC Oxf 9

The petitioners wished to introduce two pods with curved wooden screens connected by a curved step to form a continuous arc across the west end of the church which would accommodate toilet and kitchen facilities. The statutory consultees did not consider it appropriate for the proposed new structures to be curved. The Victorian Society became a party opponent. The Chancellor decided to grant a faculty, for two reasons: (1) he was of the opinion that 'a curved design would be less visually intrusive, and would cause less harm to the significance of this church building, than a rectilinear design'; and (2) whilst both sides could not agree on a matter of aesthetics, and particularly where the Diocesan Advisory Committee has not objected to the proposals, 'I consider that considerable, if not decisive weight, should be accorded to the views of the PCC, as the democratically elected body entrusted with the task of making decisions for the parish.'

Re St. Mary Bourne Street London [2013] Justin Gau Dep. Ch. (London)

Faculty granted for the disposal of three sets of High Mass vestments thought to be "not in keeping with the present vestments and were bought without sufficient consultation with the PCC and are generally regarded as 'mistakes'", even though purchased in recent years at considerable expense. Comments by the acting Deputy Chancellor on the stewardship of parish resources.

Re St. Mary Boxford [2023] ECC SEI 1

The following works of reordering were proposed: disposal of unwanted furniture; installation of an aumbry, with a lamp; and installation of a nave altar. There was one objector (who did not become a party opponent), whose main objection was to the introduction of the aumbry. The Chancellor determined that the objector's arguments on procedural or doctrinal grounds were wrong and he therefore granted a faculty.