This Grade II* listed church with a small and declining congregation had been taken over by a church plant from Holy Trinity, Brompton, and now had a large and growing congregation. A number of faculties had been granted for emergency repair works and some re-ordering. The petitioners now sought a faculty for further re-ordering works, including the wall-to-wall carpeting of the church and confirming the introduction of functional black chairs which had been introduced pursuant to an archdeacon's licence. The carpet was to be provided free of charge. The Victorian Society became a party opponent in the case, objecting to the overly domestic nature of the carpet and the inappropriate nature of the chairs. The chancellor took account of the fact that the unexpected emergency repair works had used up much of the parish's funds for building works, that the carpet was to be provided free of charge and that the works were part of an, as yet inchoate, building master plan. The carpet, in particular, caused significant harm to the interior of the church but the plans were entirely reversible. The petitioners had failed to justify the harm caused save for a limited period. A faculty was granted for a period of five years only, with the chairs to be removed and the floor reinstated in terms approved by the court after the expiry of that period. [RA]
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