Major project to make Melton's St Mary's Church fit for 21st Century moves forward

Plans for changes to the Grade I listed church are moving forward after the Leicestershire Diocesan Committee recently agreed to approve the latest application from the St Mary’s project group.

It’s good news but it’s the chancellor for the Leicestershire Diocese who will now make the final decision to grant the faculty application, reject it or recommend changes be made.

Key changes recently approved by the diocese include:

Lifting and renewal of the flooring throughout the building; improved access throughout; introduction of under-floor heating; new lighting scheme; full electrical re-wire with enhanced facilities; remodelling the Sir Malcolm Sargent memorial organ (existing casework to be extended to include new pipework); organ console to be movable (connection points in new locations); installation of a servery; west porch - adjustment of the floor, cleaning of internal stonework, creation of an inner draught lobby; renewal of the sound system.

The project committee will soon present revised plans to the diocese to include:

Toilet provision in St Mary’s; north door - creation of a draught lobby; changes to pathways outside the west porch and north door to improve access; improved lighting outside the west porch and north door.

Project committee chairman John Craig said: “The approval of the plans by the Leicestershire Diocesan Committee has been warmly welcomed by the congregation.

“The chancellor alone will have the opportunity to grant the faculty, reject it or recommend changes be made. We look forward to a positive response.

“We have targeted January for building work to begin. There is already a team planning the fundraising for the project and researching grants which will help towards specific aspects of the works.”