The present petition was one of a series anticipated during the restoration of this Grade I listed church following a serious fire in December 2018, which gutted the tower above the ringing floor and damaged the length of the nave roof. The whole ground level was affected by falling debris, water and smoke damage. The petition sought a faculty for the permanent removal of the pew platforms to create a level floor in the nave and aisles, and the permanent removal and disposal of the nineteenth-century pews (currently removed under an interim faculty to allow clearance, investigation and repair after the fire). The proposal for the disposal of the pews attracted support from the Diocesan Advisory Committee and the congregation; the only objection was made by the Victorian Society, which did not wish to become a party opponent.

The chancellor found that the pews contributed notably to the pre-fire appearance of the church and that their removal would result in harm to the significance of the church. The court did not have any authoritative assessment of the pews’ significance from a woodwork specialist, as had been recommended. However, it appeared that: the designers and manufacturers of the pews were not such as to give them special note; their introduction in the nineteenth century had been a purely functional step; and the original scheme had already been significantly attenuated. This negated arguments that the current arrangement of pews was a major factor in the significance of the building. Replacement of the pews with modern and appropriate chairs would potentially bring greater visual cohesion in the seating arrangements than currently existed. The harm to the significance of the church would, therefore, be minor.

The church was using the fire as an opportunity to develop a masterplan for the building, of which the creation of a flexible space in the nave was a first step. Criticism of the petitioners for not providing sufficient evidence of proposed benefits was dismissed, given the constraints and opportunities facing them after the fire. ‘Halfway-house’ alternatives, such as the retention and/or relocation of some of the pews, would re-introduce tripping and accessibility issues and compromise the flexibility of the space; and the chancellor agreed with their rejection by the Parochial Church Council. The minor harm was significantly outweighed by the benefits of the proposals, and a faculty was granted. The chancellor also granted a confirmatory faculty for the removal of the pew platforms, which had already been disposed of as part of the clean-up operation. [DW]