Christchurch Town council backs rebuild of fire-ravaged All Saints church in Mudeford but wants changes to proposed new entrance and lobby

THE entrance lobby planned for the rebuild of a fire ravaged Christchurch church has sparked concerns among members of Christchurch Town Council.

As the A&T previously reported, All Saints Church in Mudeford is to be restored to how it was when it was built in 1869.

Since a blaze ripped through the building in July 2022, church members have been working with architects Acanthus Clews of Banbury on its rebuild.

Their plans include reconstruction of the west end, a new entrance and lobby, and extensions to the first floor of the rear hall.

At the latest meeting of the town council’s planning committee, members argued the planned lobby “was not in keeping” with the church, and recommended it “align” more with the church’s “architectural style”.

Councillors also felt that the rebuild should “ensure” that the Victorian stained glass on the west elevation “remain visible”.

Members endorsed concerns by the Victorian Society over the obscuration of the west elevation of the building and the stained glass window in it.

The plans for the rebuilding of the parts of the church damaged by fire has also attracted objections from residents of Mude Gardens. They claim they would suffer “loss of amenity, overlooking and parking issues”.

A presentation of the works proposed at the site was made to the meeting, during which the “key differences” between the pre-fire church and the new scheme were outlined.

They included details of landscaping, including information about mature trees at the site, existing traffic and parking issues and proposed additions.

Chairman Cllr David Jones updated members on the history of the church and emphasised the importance of providing sufficient parking spaces, particularly given the significant number of elderly visitors.