Church Open meeting on 1st February to discuss building development plans
Thank you to everyone who came to this meeting or who offered their thoughts and ideas via a response sheet.
This is a summary of what has emerged so far We asked everyone at the meeting on 1st Feb…
A. What is about our current building which is… 1. Special /Cherished ? 2. A problem ? 3. Needs changing because it may hold us back?
Here are the responses…
SPECIAL/CHERISHED Peaceful Atmosphere, Loving Family, Supportive Church Family, Presence of God. Chancel, Lady Chapel, Organ, Heritage. Paintings Need More Prominence. Chancel, Organ. The Cross. Organ, Chancel (Panels & Roof), Lady Chapel. Flower Windows, Whole Building, Organ, Chancel. Pew and Atmosphere. Internal Design, Chancel Good Acoustics, People and Heritage Lady Chapel. Lady Chapel in Church, Altar Area. Altar/Chancel, Lady Chapel, Organ, Font (Stone). Building its symmetry warmth and presence of God’s Love. Altar, Organ. The Organ. Organ. Chancel, Organ, Lady Chapel, Stone Font. Altar, Chancel.
PROBLEM/PAIN Bookstall/Foyer Pews – Uncomfortable and inflexible, Heating poor, Toilets and Kitchen Inadequate, Lack of Light. Pews, Heating, Big Screen at Front. Lack of Colourful Banners, Holy Spirit Banners. Uncomfortable Pews. Support Pillars, Lack of Storage, Lack of Flexible Space. Heating, Kitchen, Toilets, Sound System, Storage.
Toilets, Kitchen, Heating. Toilets, Kitchen, Heating. Pews, Kitchen. We Need a Better Choir Location. More Toilets, Larger Kitchen, Pews, Heating. Toilets, Kitchen, Heating. Heating, More Toilets, Kitchen. Toilets, Kitchen, Heating. More People to Help with Security Issues. Need Welcome Area, Adaptable Space
MAY HOLD US BACK Keeping the Pews, Not Having a Good Sound System, Needing more Storage Space. Finance, Storage Space. Pews. Finance. Use of Space, Lack of Enthusiasm for the Future, Finance. Main Entrance More Welcoming. Pews. Pews, Upstairs Rooms/Walkway, Stairs, Pews, Layout, Outgrown Room Capacity, Kitchen Too Small. Attitudes, Being Insular, Look of Vision (Thinking More Widely) Not too Much Change, Pews Need Replacing With Comfortable Chairs. Not Taking Pews Out. Pews, Lack of Flexibility, Poor Toilets, Kitchen, Unable to Access Upstairs-even by stairs for disabled. Children’s Facilities During Services.
We asked those who came to the meeting on 1st Feb…
From the current suggestions for developing the building what do you think is …
1. A good idea 2. A bad idea 3. An even better idea
Here is a summary of the discussion and the points that were raised…
A good idea (and why?) Lift Larger kitchen Better toilets Removing pews
Having a day chapel and the lady chapel Floored area between upstairs rooms Day chapel being able to be used for children’s work
A bad idea Office being upstairs ( security, lack of welcome, confidentiality)
Is the upstairs floor strong enough to bear the weight of a safe?
An even better idea? (…in some people views – others may not have had chance to share their ideas as time was short)
Office moves to choir vestry Move lady chapel to where the font is now and make a glassed room change entrance on the outside so it tells people that things have changed on the inside A separate building next to (or joined to) the west end of the church larger doors at entrance
Next Steps? PCC meet on 6 Feb with Bryan Martin (Church Architect) Bryan puts forward amended plans in discussion with the building development team of the PCC More consultation with church and wider community PCC discuss and agree plans Diocese permission ( Faculty request and approval of Diocesan Advisory Committee) Then … contracting, fundraising and action
A prayer as we develop our building Living God, Thank you for the wonderful building at St Anne’s which has been handed down to us Please guide us as we think and pray about the future of our church and the building Please help us to listen well, to each other, to you and to the wider community. May our decision making help us to grow in love, faith and hope. Please build your church and your kingdom in us and through us In Jesus name we pray. Amen Richard Westwood 2 Feb 2017
Building Development - On 6 Feb the PCC met with Bryan Martyn, our church architect to discuss plans for the future of St Anne’s Building. The meeting went well and there was general agreement on a number of key areas. Here is a summary of the discussion which took place…
ðRichard thanked all the PCC and members of the church for the way in which everyone had conducted the discussions about the building development. People had listened to one another and shared views well in a kind manner. This was excellent - please carry on in this way ðThe PCC reviewed the outcomes from the open church meeting of 1st Feb where there was broad agreement that there was a need to … improve heating and kitchen facilities … if at all possible, keep the office facilities downstairs … allow a space for prayer in the main church (side aisle) … remove pews and provide comfortable, flexible seating … have better toilets (downstairs)
ðBryan Martin reminded the PCC that the building is Grade II* and that this would mean there would be restrictions on what was permissible by the Diocesan Advisory Committee and other bodies who have a role in granting permission. This is especially the case for any alterations to the exterior of the building.
ðBy the end of the meeting there was a consensus that… … after the redevelopment the building should allow multiple use of rooms at the same time (e.g. a meeting in one room at the same time as a different activity in the main worship space) … we should investigate having a ‘day chapel’ on the site of the current choir vestry available for use whenever the church building is open – possible using some of the pews and other ‘heritage features’ features of the church …we should also keep a ‘prayer space’ within the main worship area (what people refer to as a Lady Chapel) so that prayer ministry, candle lighting and quiet prayer can happen smoothly during Sunday worship … the office, toilets and kitchen should all be downstairs … there was a need for a lift … the pews would need to be removed in order to allow for underfloor heating, and to allow for more comfortable, stackable seating.
ðBryan Martin agreed to produce some new plans with these ideas in mind and report back to the PCC on 6 March 2017 Please keep praying about the building development and talking to one another about it. You may like to use the prayer below. Richard Westwood 6 Feb 2017
