A petition sought a faculty to authorise proposals involving the installation of a lavatory and servery which necessitated the removal of a number of ‘children's pews’ that had been introduced to the Grade II* listed church in about 1865. Historic England did not support the proposals. The chancellor (disagreeing with the view of the Diocesan Advisory Committee) held that the church would to some extent be harmed in relation to its historic interest by the removal of the pews. That harm would be appreciable but not very great and the justification – that the removal was to make room for facilities that were almost essential to modern worship – was good. The justification outweighed the harm, and could be further mitigated by retaining one or two of the pews near their original position. The petitioners were to be afforded an opportunity of either accepting or stating their reasons for disagreeing with the chancellor's suggestions. If the suggestions were accepted, a faculty was to be issued; otherwise the petition was to be returned to the chancellor. [Alexander McGregor]