Saving Penshurst Church - a 2012 summer update
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Last October we submitted a detailed scheme for the church repairs and changes to make it fit for broader use to Rochester’s Diocesan Advisory Commission. This is the first - and toughest - step in getting permission for changes to Grade 1 listed churches like Penshurst’s. As part of the process, we have been dealing with bodies like English Heritage and the Victorian Society. It has taken nearly nine months so far - but we are nearly there, we are told. Parts of the plan will then need the Parish and Sevenoaks District Councils’ approval before building tenders can get under way. The earliest likely date for starting work has now slipped into early 2013.
A recent inspection of the fabric has revealed more repairs needed and we have had to make some small changes DAC approval - these are not major but will push costs up a bit. Based on our original assumptions about the level of building costs, the whole project is now likely to come in at about £750,000 - but it is only when we got out to full tender that we will discover whether the building industry’s work shortage translates into lower bids than we have assumed.
On the fund-raising side, pledges and cash are now over £440,000 and still climbing steadily if not spectacularly. There are some important applications to grant-making trusts that cannot be made until after DAC approval is obtained and we hope that the formal end to the campaign, probably early next spring, will prompt some last-minute gifts from those who have been staying their hands. And we will close the campaign with a big fund-raising party next spring - watch this space!
So the gap between costs and donations will ideally narrow as costs turn out to be lower than estimated and last-minute contributions comes in. If there is still a gap once we have the tender results, we will organise another Open Village Meeting in the church where we can discuss the various options and get feedback on how to bridge it and square the books.
Meanwhile, a huge thank you from the project committee, PCC and Friends of Penshurst Church for your generosity and patience.
David Lough for the Saving Penshurst Church project June 2012
Click here for the latest building news
Last October we submitted a detailed scheme for the church repairs and changes to make it fit for broader use to Rochester’s Diocesan Advisory Commission. This is the first - and toughest - step in getting permission for changes to Grade 1 listed churches like Penshurst’s. As part of the process, we have been dealing with bodies like English Heritage and the Victorian Society. It has taken nearly nine months so far - but we are nearly there, we are told. Parts of the plan will then need the Parish and Sevenoaks District Councils’ approval before building tenders can get under way. The earliest likely date for starting work has now slipped into early 2013.
A recent inspection of the fabric has revealed more repairs needed and we have had to make some small changes DAC approval - these are not major but will push costs up a bit. Based on our original assumptions about the level of building costs, the whole project is now likely to come in at about £750,000 - but it is only when we got out to full tender that we will discover whether the building industry’s work shortage translates into lower bids than we have assumed.
On the fund-raising side, pledges and cash are now over £440,000 and still climbing steadily if not spectacularly. There are some important applications to grant-making trusts that cannot be made until after DAC approval is obtained and we hope that the formal end to the campaign, probably early next spring, will prompt some last-minute gifts from those who have been staying their hands. And we will close the campaign with a big fund-raising party next spring - watch this space!
So the gap between costs and donations will ideally narrow as costs turn out to be lower than estimated and last-minute contributions comes in. If there is still a gap once we have the tender results, we will organise another Open Village Meeting in the church where we can discuss the various options and get feedback on how to bridge it and square the books.
Meanwhile, a huge thank you from the project committee, PCC and Friends of Penshurst Church for your generosity and patience.
David Lough for the Saving Penshurst Church project June 2012
