News from Ashford Future, Ashford Borough Council and Canterbury Diocese Transformation of St Mary's Church given the green lightPlans to transform St Mary's parish church into a 'sacred shared space' - as a vibrant arts venue and a place of worship - have been given the green light by the Church of England's official planning body. The proposed re-ordering of St Mary's Church in Ashford town centre has been officially approved, after His Honour Judge Richard Walker of the Commissary Court of Canterbury issued his judgement on 2nd June 2010, and the faculty document was duly sealed by his Registrar. The project, led by the church and funded by Ashford's Future and Ashford Borough Council, will ensure that the town has a much improved, flexible and welcoming arts venue with exciting programme of music and drama by both local and national artists, while still serving its congregation as a historic place of worship. Churchwarden Robert Blount said: "This is good news for St Mary's, and the whole parish of Ashford. "Replacing the nave pews (except the oldest pews, which will remain in the gallery), platforms and bulky old cast-iron pipes, will improve it for our worship. These measures, together with much needed improvements to toilets and kitchen facilities, will also transform the space for the range of arts events that are part of our fine tradition." Judith Armitt, managing director of Ashford's Future, which has ring fenced £1.2m of funding towards the project, said: "I am thrilled that this wonderful project has been granted full approval. "Having an impressive, flexible arts venue offering a vibrant cultural programme to residents and visitors alike is an integral part of Ashford's growth agenda and the reordering of St Mary's will give our growing population an arts programme to be proud of." Taking inspiration from Union Chapel in Islington, a re-ordered St Mary's would support a diverse programme of music, drama and arts events for up to 350 people, and will set a benchmark for artistic excellence in Ashford. The programme could include jazz, soul, dance, opera, folk, classical and world music, new and adapted drama by national and local companies, spoken word events, exhibitions from national artists, local art groups and students, talks and workshops. The Bishop of Dover, the Right Reverend Trevor Willmott said: "I am delighted that following the consistory court, His Honour Judge Richard Walker has granted a faculty for the re-ordering of Ashford St Mary's. "No church is simply a church building - it is a community space as well as a place of worship. Completion of this exciting project at Ashford St Mary's will ensure that the Church can truly serve the whole community, now and for future generations." Works planned for St Mary's include creating a flexible space in the nave for worship, ceremonies and performances with new movable seating, a new floor with under floor heating, glazed doors at the north entrance, a new stage lighting rig, more toilets, improved disabled access, better kitchen facilities, refurbished meeting rooms, a refurbished west entrance hall and refurbishment and repair works to the ceiling and walls plastering and paintwork. There will also be a sustainable underground heat source pump and grey water recycling. Conditions included in the faculty safeguard the fabric of the church and graveyard during the work. The project will cost £1.7m, including £1.2m of Growth Area Funding from Ashford's Future, £100,000 from Ashford Borough Council and further contributions from The Church of England and other external partners. The full project funding cannot be officially released until 2010-11 capital funding allocations have been confirmed following the emergency budget on 22nd June. It is then anticipated that the contract will be let and work will start by the end of July. -ENDS- Notes to Editors: If you would like images of the plans or to interview a member of the project team, please contact Sinead Mason (detail below). About Ashford's Future Ashford has been identified by the Government as one of the key growth areas in the South East and is now the fastest growing town between London and the Continent. It is set to double in size by 2031, creating 28,000 extra jobs and 31,000 new homes. Ashford's Future is a delivery company supporting the partnership of government and private sector bodies working to deliver the regeneration and growth of Ashford. Ashford's Future partners comprise Ashford Borough Council, Kent County Council, SEEDA (South East England Development Agency), Homes and Communities Agency, Environment Agency, Learning and Skills Council, and the Highways Agency. Ashford's Future is a company influenced by Ashford Borough Council and Kent County Council. Unless otherwise stated, the views in this communication are those of the Ashford Future Company Limited. Key aspects of Ashford's £2.5 billion investment programme include:
For further information on Ashford's Future contact: Sinead Mason |