The petition concerned the major re-ordering of a thirteenth-century Grade I listed church with a significant civic role. The proposed works were intended to improve disabled access, the visibility and audibility of liturgy, seating, toilets and meeting space for community use, Sunday school and quiet prayer. The Diocesan Advisory Committee, the amenity societies and English Heritage had all opposed the original petition. However, negotiation over two years and two amended petitions reduced the disagreements. Changes included re-siting the pulpit steps rather than removing the pulpit and removing one rather than three galleries. Disputes remained over removing the west end porch and re-ordering the chancel and choir vestry.
The chancellor held that the petitioners’ openness to negotiation added weight to their views. He applied the guidance given by the Court of Arches in Re St Alkmund, Duffield (noted above). The chancellor stated that the significance of the building when assessing harm was found to lie in its overall continuum of architectural styles and history, following Re St John the Evangelist, Blackheath (reported at (1998) 5 Ecc LJ 217) that churches should keep meritorious additions rather than seeking architectural purity of particular periods. A faculty was granted as the consequential improvements created public benefits that outweighed and justified any harm that might ensue from the re-ordering. However, the application for the creation of a glass-structured inner lobby was refused in order to retain the woodwork and architectural interest in that part of the church. [Catherine Shelley]
