The petitioners sought a faculty for the conversion of the vestry to provide facilities for tea-making and a toilet. The Grade II listed church was the only community space in Thornage village and the nearest public toilet facilities were three miles away. The petition was supported by the diocesan advisory committee, English Heritage, the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings and both the parish council and the local authority. The vestry had been built just after the First World War in memory of those lost, and objections were received inter alia raising concerns about the insensitivity of changing its use from a vestry to a toilet. In granting the faculty, the chancellor noted that the war memorial plaque on the outside of the vestry would be preserved. She further observed that the public benefit from the change of use was in keeping with the original decision to build a memorial which would be of practical use. It was also noted that the vestry has no liturgical significance but is simply a place to change. [RA]