One of the four tower pinnacles on this Grade I-listed church blew down in a storm in 2021. The condition of the others gave concern, and they were removed under an interim faculty in 2022. A confirmatory faculty was granted in 2023 with a condition, recommended by the DAC, that the pinnacles be restored to the tower within three years. Upon challenge by the PCC, the condition was stayed pending consideration of submissions from the planning authority, Historic England and the CBC.

The PCC contended that the pinnacles were purely decorative, not functional; their replacement would be an unreasonable demand on limited resources, would not replace the lost heritage value and would have a limited lifespan; and their absence could be explained in a display at ground level. Historic England and the DAC supported restoration of the pinnacles (which were mentioned in the church’s listing), the former commenting that in the secular system, replacement of significant features was a usual condition to listed building consent for their removal. The CBC observed that the permanent removal of the pinnacles constituted partial demolition of a listed building, and highlighted the significance of pinnacles in Perpendicular architecture, both decoratively and functionally. The planning authority likewise set out its expectation that the pinnacles would be reinstated, in line with its local planning policy. The court observed that the permanent removal of the pinnacles would require planning permission.

The court determined that overall, the question was the balance of restoration of the church to its former, listed state against the demands this would place on parish resources. The court did not consider that the latter consideration, significant though it was, could outweigh the historic significance of the appearance of the listed church. Those most responsible for church heritage agreed with such an assessment, as did the local planning authority (who would have to be convinced to the contrary, were the parish to be permitted not to restore the pinnacles). This church could never be, and never was, a utilitarian structure: its grandeur and its style were directed to reflect the faith of its patrons. It should be restored accordingly and the faculty in that respect would be unchanged. The time for compliance was extended to five years from the date of the judgment.