Re All Saints, Alrewas

The petitioners sought a faculty for a modern extension to a mediaeval church with internal re-ordering of the nave, creating a glass-walled meeting room. The changes were to accommodate the Sunday school, which was meeting in the Methodist church, to create more flexible space for meetings, hospitality and youth activities and to improve toilet and kitchen facilities. Relocation of the font was necessitated by the works but would also make the font more visible. In considering the relocation of the font, the chancellor addressed both the Bishopsgate questions and the principles applicable to the positioning of fonts. It was not adequate for there to be a positive outcome from the Bishopsgate questions alone. The faculty was granted in full on the basis that, although the works would have an adverse impact on the church architecture, this was outweighed by the pressing need for the changes to facilitate mission and to provide space for children's activities. Relocation of the font was granted as part of the wider works, but the need for greater visibility generally within the church and to enhance visibility during baptisms would have justified the change as a stand-alone application. [Catherine Shelley]