The petition sought authority, among other things, for the extensive remodelling of the existing Victorian porch of a Grade I listed church in order to accommodate a disabled lavatory. The proposals were supported by Historic England and the Diocesan Advisory Committee but the aspect of the proposals relating to the porch was objected to by the Victorian Society. In finding that the proposals relating to the porch would not result in harm to the significance of the church – the fabric of which was almost entirely mediaeval – the chancellor observed that the points advanced by the Victorian Society were almost entirely subjective. Their statement that it was a handsome addition to the main façade which elegantly marked out the entrance to the building was really no more than an assertion, and one that was readily contestable. There was no evidence that the porch was the work of a Victorian architect of any note; nor was there anything else about its provenance which contributed to the church's historic significance. Moreover, it was not suggested that the porch was of particular interest from an architectural point of view: it was not said, for example, to be unusual, of special quality or to carry significance in relation to the development of the architecture of the church or of architecture generally. The chancellor accepted that the Victorian Society had particular expertise which it could helpfully bring to bear in assessing the impact of proposals on listed buildings which were Victorian or which had significant Victorian features. In the present case, however, the views expressed by the Society did not carry much weight because they amounted only to a subjective view of the value of the porch. The faculty was granted as sought. [Alexander McGregor]