A nearly 200-year-old church in Bembridge will get an upgraded and ‘more welcoming’ entrance, significantly improving ‘accessibility, comfort and energy efficiency’.
County Hall has accepted the Rev Stephen Daughtery’s proposal for the installation of glazed double doors, an improved entrance porch floor and heating and lighting at Holy Trinity Church.
Rev Daughtery’s plans will preserve the character of the church by ‘integrating modern materials in a respectful manner’, his agent, Stickland Wright, said.
The Grade II-listed building within the Bembridge Conservation Area dates from around 1845-6, according to Historic England.
A Heritage and Design Statement from Stickland Wright said:
“The design preserves the character of the historic structure while significantly improving accessibility, comfort, and energy efficiency.
“The carefully considered upgrades will provide a more welcoming and functional entrance without compromising the integrity of the existing architecture.
“The proposed draught lobby and accessible ramp are intended as a clear public benefit, which we believe will outweigh the less than substantial harm to the building and conservation area setting.”
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Planners said the proposal’s impact on the setting of the church and on the Bembridge Conservation Area’s character and appearance are ‘considered to be minimal’.
Prior to the consent being granted, Bembridge Parish Council signalled its support for application 25/00652/FUL.
When I was just starting school at the age of 5 I can remember being forced into the Church of England, as being so young, I never had a say until I was a lot older and wiser. I can remember the church being very cold and unwelcoming. I never set foot in a church until I was married. The church of England would not marry us because my wife to be would not forgive her husband the adultery that he committed. We finally did find a church that welcomed us and which was warm and very friendly. That is the John Pounds church in the High Street in Old Portsmouth. Even with no shortage of money, this church is decades behind the times.