Improved facilities planned for Briston church

All Saints' Church in Briston is seeking a lottery grant to upgrade its facilities, but the removal of the pews in readiness for the improvements has angered some of the local residents.

The church hopes to secure a grant worth more than £500,000 from the National Lottery Heritage Fund for works including roof repairs and the installation of toilets, a kitchen, and a meeting room. The intention is to host more community events at the church, which would be needed for a successful heritage fund grant. There are currently no toilets at the church.
 
Revd Trudie Morris said that the pews had only been taken away temporarily so that options for repairing and improving the building could be explored, and that the pews would be stored in the vicarage for no longer than two years while plans for the church's future were made.
 
The removal of pews from the village church has annoyed some of the villagers, and some strong views were aired at a meeting held at the church in October when the improvement plans were outlined.
 
Revd Morris explained that they were looking at ways to free up space and make the building more accessible, and to ensure the building has modern-day facilities for the people who need them. She explained that there was currently no money to carry out the work.
 
North Norfolk MP Duncan Baker, who attended the meeting, said the concerns of the community need to be listened to, and that it was essential that the parochial church council takes stock and reflects on the public meeting, as most of the people who spoke were concerned by the scale of the plans and proposals.
 
A spokesperson for the Diocese of Norwich said that the interest and affection that the village has for All Saints’ Church was encouraging, and that securing the future of the church building will depend on the support of the local community, including in raising the funds necessary for the upkeep and improvements.

 
This story is based on an article in the North Norfolk News.
 
The photo of All Saints Briston is courtesy of Simon Knott at Norfolkchurches.co.uk

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