Reordering

A faculty was sought for the disposal of: 4 short free-standing modem oak pews (circa 1967); 3 desks; a portable altar and communion rail;  2 old 'Glastonbury' style sanctuary chairs; a wooden cross; 2 wooden candlesticks; 11 standards and their metal wall fixings. The Diocesan Advisory Committe and the Church Buildings Council both supported the disposals. The Chancellor decided that none of the items was a "church treasure", which would justify him in holding a formal hearing. Faculty granted.

The Rector and Churchwardens sought permission to remove two pews from the front of the nave, to create a larger performance area, and four pews from the back of the nave, to provide a children's area. The proposals had been trialled under an archdeacon's licence for temporary reordering. After the period of the licence expired, the reordering remained in place without lawful authority. The petitioners also wished to replace the pews with chairs with blue upholstery, which had already been purchased. The Chancellor granted a faculty for twelve blue upholstered chairs to replace the front two rows of pews only. He indicated that if a further faculty was sought for more blue upholstered chairs, he would not be minded to grant one unless a more suitable colour was chosen and the existing chairs were reupholstered in the same colour.

Faculty granted for removal of Victorian choir stalls and replacement with light oak, upholstered choir pews, which would have the flexibility to be used for services in the chancel for small congregations.

Two matters were before the Chancellor: (1) an application for a confirmatory faculty in respect of a sound system installed without faculty in 1997; (2) an application by the Archdeacon for a restoration order in respect of lighting installed in the west porch in 2015 without faculty. The Chancellor's decisions were as follows: (1) faculty to be granted for the sound system, subject to conditions, including the replacement of the old sound speakers with new speakers in different locations; (2) a decision on the application for a restoration order in respect of the lighting to be deferred for 36 days, to allow time for a faculty petition to be presented.

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 Chancellor granted a faculty for (i) the repair of a vandalised 1901 stained-glass window and (ii) the extension and adaptation of 1950s parish rooms attached to a Grade II* listed medieval church to create accessible meeting room, classroom, kitchen and toilet facilities. While Historic England and the Church Buildings Council objected to the scale and visual impact of the proposed extension, neither became a party opponent. Applying the 'Duffield' principles, the Chancellor found that the window repair was wholly beneficial and uncontroversial. As to the extension, following a site visit, he concluded that it would cause no more than moderate harm to the significance, setting and appearance of the listed church and conservation area. That harm was outweighed by clear and convincing public benefits, including improved accessibility, accommodation for school visits, community use, safeguarding, and income generation essential to the church’s mission and sustainability. The court rejected the argument that the nave could suitably provide the same benefits without greater harm. Accordingly, the faculty was granted, subject to conditions.

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."