Priory Development Plan Progress
Armed with a cup of coffee, Rod, the Vicar, assisted by Neil and Jeremy, answered questions from the congregation.
NOTES FROM CONGREGATIONAL MEETING AFTER THE MORNING SERVICE ON SUNDAY 30th OCTOBER 2022
PRIORY DEVELOPMENT PLAN (PDP) UPDATE
The weekly newsletter distributed at the Sunday services on 6th and 13th October 2022 had contained an insert giving an update on the progress of the Priory Development Plan. The text of this was as follows:
Main Priory Development Plan
We have engaged an experienced consultant, Dr Christine Stokes of Funding Matters, to advise on how best to configure our Plan, particularly the Expression of Interest to the National Lottery Heritage Fund (NLHF), and also the best strategy for funding the project. We hope to submit our Expression of Interest to NLHF before the end of this year.
Should we be successful with our Expression of Interest, the bid for funding will be for Phase 1 of the overall project, which includes a new building adjacent to the west wall outside the porch, with good toilets, catering facilities, meeting rooms, etc, together with reordering of the north transept and the conservation of those mediaeval windows in most urgent need of repair.
We anticipate the cost for Phase 1 to be in the order of £7m, which is around half of the overall PDP cost. It will take some five years from now to complete the work for this first phase.
Creation Window and St Anne’s Chapel Roof Re-leading projects
The work to renew the roof of St Anne’s chapel has now commenced and will continue until the end of November. The restoration of the Creation window will commence in November with the window being removed by York Glaziers Trust between 7th and 11th, utilising internal scaffolding in St Anne’s Chapel in addition to the external scaffolding. Once removed, the window openings will be boarded for protection. The mediaeval glass will then be taken up to York Glaziers’ workshop in York for restoration and cleaning.
In Spring 2023 the window stonework will be repaired by Sally Strachey Historic Conservation ready to accept the protective clear external glazing, with the mediaeval glass repositioned at the window on bronze sub-frames. The project should be completed in May 2023; we will then monitor its performance using remote sensors.
Levelling of the nave floor and installation of underfloor heating
This is proving to be quite a complicated project, particularly with regard to the underfloor heating and routing of the various cable systems. Our architect, Arnold Bartosch Limited, and a heating engineer are completing their designs and we have been in contact with the Diocesan Church Buildings Officer to discuss our solution.
The PCC has decided to make an application for a faculty as soon as possible, but the subsequent timescale for the award of a faculty is very uncertain, as currently are the costs. In order to provide some clarity and certainty in the short term the PCC has determined that work on the floor should not now be undertaken before the first quarter of 2024 – ie some 14 months’ time. The decision to proceed with the project at this later time will be made once the likelihood of a faculty is known and when we also know the outcomes of discussions with the NLHF regarding the outcome of the main PDP bid. It is likely that we shall have to close the nave area and main door during the 12-week work period, with the rest of the church remaining open.
Members of the congregation were invited to an open meeting after the morning service on Sunday 30th October, which would give the opportunity for questions and further details. 40 attended the meeting.
The vicar welcomed everyone and suggested that the meeting take the form of a questions and answers session.
Q: What material will be used to replace the existing wooden pew plinths in the nave?
A: They will be replaced with more wood, of a light oak colour. There will be underfloor heating (which will help to lower our carbon footprint). The existing tiles in the centre aisle will be retained.
Q: Has consideration been given to a change of flooring affecting the acoustics of the building?
A: Yes. Advice is being taken on the effect of flooring materials on acoustics. That is why we are using wood rather than stone. However the major factors influencing the acoustics are the upholstered seating and the numbers of people present.
Q: Are we still intending to lower the pew plinths in the north aisle and the north transept?
A: Yes, but this will be in Phase II of the PDP because of cost and disruption to the use of the building. A new raised platform for the vicar’s desk and choir area will also be in Phase II.
Q: How reliable will the Quantity Surveyor’s estimate of the cost of the nave floor levelling be, given that there are potentially unknown complications (e.g. the need for involvement of an archaeologist)?
A: We know that old gas pipes and cables run underneath the current flooring. Several small areas underneath the floor have been inspected. In January of next year, larger areas of the flooring will be lifted to allow inspection and reduce uncertainty of the work required. The Quantity Surveyor has borne in mind unanticipated costs. Hopefully the final cost will be less than his estimate.
Q: How will worship in the church be affected during the work on the nave flooring?
A: Several scenarios have been considered. Initially it was suggested that each half of the nave could be tented and done separately, but professional advice was that this would be impractical and would be more expensive. Current thinking is that the north porch entrance and the whole nave would be closed off. Sheeting would have to be placed over the organ and it would therefore be out of use. That would leave St Giles’ and St Anne’s chapels available for use. A preliminary approach has been made to Malvern College to use its chapel for Sunday services. There is no doubt that this will be a logistical challenge. At this stage we still do not have an exact starting date for the work and this causes problems with events such as weddings for which the church is booked many months in advance.
Q: Does the PDP take into account environmental considerations? Can we reduce our carbon footprint by using solar panels?
A: Yes. We have approached the Diocesan Church Buildings Officer about the use of solar panels. The diocese would not necessarily be against our installing these if they could not be seen from ground level, but we are in a conservation area and we have previously been advised that we would be unlikely to get permission from the Conservation Officer for panels on our flat roofs because they would be visible from the hills. Modifications to the design of solar panels are ongoing however, and it may be that an acceptable solution for the Priory will be found in due course.
Q: What form of external new build are we planning? A: Ideally, an architect-designed high quality two storey building at the top of the driveway, against the west wall, by the north porch, to provide toilets, meeting rooms, kitchen area, choir vestry etc. This has to be in Phase I of the PDP in order to allow the re-ordering of the church building in subsequent phases. In preliminary meetings, the Council planners have raised no objection in principle.
Q: Once things get underway - especially the new build – it would be a good opportunity to generate interest within the community.
A: Yes. We are indeed obliged to engage with the community as a prerequisite for receiving a grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund (NLHF). We have set up a Communications Group for the Priory and one of its duties will be to inform the community.
Q: Will the new choir stalls in Phase II be moveable?
A: Yes.
Q: How much money will the congregation have to raise itself for the PDP, and will this affect our mission giving and contribution to the ’Ministry Share’ (formerly ‘Parish Share’)?
A: Phase I of the PDP will cost in the region of £7M, of which we hope to get just over £4M from the NLHF. The balance would have to be found from grants from Trusts and Foundations, Legacies, The Friends of the Priory, and congregation and individual friends. We would hope to maintain our usual level of mission giving, if at all possible. The amount requested by the Diocese for ‘Ministry Share’ has fallen substantially, which means less pressure on our finances, and we anticipate being able to meet this in full. Jeremy Wray reminded everyone that the PDP is based on years of consultations with the congregation. We have had preliminary suggestions from three architectural practices as to how our requirements could be achieved. The Plan would be carried out in three phases, with a total cost of around £13M. Phase I is the largest phase, costing c £7M and includes the new build. To finance a project of this magnitude we have to apply for a grant from the NLHF. Before considering awarding us a grant, the NLHF will require us to demonstrate how we aim to provide community engagement and involve more people with heritage than at present. The Expression of Interest for submission to the NLHF has been drafted and we hope to submit this no later than January 2023 if invited to do so after a preliminary informal discussion with the NLHF. Getting to this stage has involved a major amount of work and considerable expense and there is a large financial risk if the NLHF declines to consider our application. If the NLHF accepts our Expression of Interest we will be invited to make a submission for Round 1 of the application process (which will take about 12 months). A relatively small number of people have been involved in getting us to this stage. David Guy made an appeal for others to come forward and offer their services, especially if they have relevant experience or skills – e.g. for making grant applications.
The vicar concluded the meeting by thanking those who had attended. The congregation will continue to be kept informed of progress and developments.
