Historic Churches 2017

BCD SPECIAL REPORT ON

HISTORIC CHURCHES

TH ANNUAL EDITION

special mobility requirements, this room

was to provide a baby changing station

for parents and a shower for use by

homeless people.

The architects also prepared a

proposal for new railings with central

gates to the narthex arched openings, in

keeping with the aesthetic of the church,

but of sufficient height to prevent

climbing. These were needed to provide

secure separate access to the main body

of the church when the community

rooms are in use.

Access improvements also included

proposals for a new internal ramp to

the north-east porch, paved with tiles

to match the originals. This would

replace a steep and rather ugly concrete

ramp which had been built inside the

porch, rather than building it externally

where it would detract from the quality

of the architecture and its setting – a

conservation area.

In 2010, the architects prepared

proposals that were sent to the Diocese

of London for their initial feedback.

Because the funds available for the

project were then unknown, the

proposals included two options, one

with community rooms on the ground

floor only and a second option including

upper community rooms with associated

metal staircases to access them. The

architects met with representatives

from the London Diocesan Fund on

site to review the proposed designs

and some amendments were made

to the design of the new railings to

the narthex to reflect other modern

railings at the other end of the nave.

In late 2010 certification was received

from the diocesan advisory committee

(DAC) recommending the proposals, and

a quantity surveyor was then engaged to

prepare preliminary cost estimates for

the different options.

As a place of worship owned by one

of the exempt denominations, alterations

which would usually require listed

building consent are dealt with under the

ecclesiastical exemption, so there was no

requirement for listed building consent.

However, the DAC’s recommendation

included the requirement to consult

with the local planning authority and the

Victorian Society because of the extent of

the proposals and the impact they would

have on the Grade II listed building.

Consultations with Camden

Council conservation officers and the

Victorian Society progressed through

2011 and in December the designs were

presented to the DAC’s plans group

of consultant architects and surveyors

for comments. In addition to requiring

further information from the structural

engineer, the group suggested increasing

the kitchen and toilet facilities, but as

this could not be achieved without losing

one of the two ground floor community

rooms, the proposals remain unchanged.

Following changes in local authority

planning policy, charges were introduced

by Camden Council for all consultations,

and the DAC agreed that further advice

from council officers was no longer

required. However, the Victorian

Society continued to advise and was

supportive of the plans. No objections

were raised to the structural proposals

for the floor or to the new narthex

railings, but the society was concerned

that the full-height infills within the

aisle arches to form the new community

rooms could cause visual harm. Further

discussions addressed the position

of the walls in relation to the arch

columns and the form of construction

the new insertions should take.

Following the preliminary cost

estimates prepared by the quantity

surveyor, it was decided to tender

the project in November 2013 as the

church needed to be absolutely sure that

adequate funding was in place before

appointing a main contractor. From the

tenders received it was apparent that

extra fundraising would be required.

Furthermore, costs increased when,

in another part of the church, the

roofs above the north and south aisles

together with their cast iron gutters and

downpipes also began to need attention.

The favoured main contractor undertook

these repair works in 2014 following

receipt of a separate faculty from the

London DAC, in advance of the major

internal project. Unfortunately, this main

contractor went into administration in

early summer 2015, so a new tender issue

was planned.

In line with the established

conservation principles, it was decided

One of the new community room doors with

traditional leadwork and bespoke ironmongery

(Photo: Thomas Erskine)

Plan showing the new meeting rooms and their separated access route via the narthex