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Ian Rob/CC
UK News

Warwickshire church in comfy seats row

by Antony Bushfield

After a request by Holy Trinity Church in the village of Long Itchington, Warwickshire, to replace their pews with more comfortable seating, a hearing was held.

The Consistory Court of the Diocese of Coventry rejected the plea. Padded seats were "overly casual" and "incompatible with a house of God", it said.

The church wanted to replace its wood-worm infested seating so it could open the church to children and play groups.

It was agreed the pews could be replaced with stackable chairs but they must not be upholstered.

The Victorian Society and Historic England told the court that comfortable seats were "unworthy" of the building.

Chancellor of the diocese, Stephen Eyre QC, is quoted by the Telegraph as saying: "I accept that the interior appearance of a church should if at all possible not be off-putting to those new to it.

"However, it is to be remembered that an overly casual appearance can be incompatible with a house of God and can be as unattractive to newcomers as an appearance of excessive rigour.

"An emphasis on quality and seemliness is not only appropriate in buildings dedicated to the Glory of God but is also part of what attracts those new to the Church.

"When considering comfort I must give considerable weight to the expert advice that properly designed un-upholstered chairs can be as comfortable as those which are upholstered."

In a further statement, the Diocese of Coventry said: "The Diocese of Coventry is steward to some of Warwickshire and Coventry's finest historic buildings.

"In undertaking these responsibilities it operates within national guidance for the care of listed places of worship, which includes a preference for unpadded seating.

"The aim of this is to enhance the appearance of the interior of the church and to extend the longevity of the seats. A well-designed unpadded seat, suitably shaped, does not need to be any less comfortable than a padded seat.

"Modern, stylish, unpadded seating has been introduced in, among others, St Paul's Cathedral, Salisbury Cathedral, Canterbury Cathedral, Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford and Norwich Cathedral, as well as many parish churches across the country."

Listen to Simon Jenkins from shipoffools.com speaking about this to Premier's Marcus Jones:

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