Developing a Vision for the future

A statement for the Parish of St Laurence with St John, Ludlow

from the Team Rector and Church Wardens following the public meeting

held on 9th October 2008 Ludlow Assembly Rooms

Discussions begin about the future of St Laurence's

An open meeting for the community of Ludlow was held in the Ludlow
Assembly Rooms on Wednesday 8th October on the future of St Laurence's
church building. The meeting was the first stage of a process of wide
ranging consultation with all who have an interest in St Laurence's.
130 people attended the meeting, organised by the Parochial Church
Council, with the Revd Andrew Mottram, Director of Ecclesiastical
Property Solutions as the guest speaker.

The PCC is responsible for the care and maintenance of the building. An
Asset Management Plan has identified over seventy items requiring repair or
replacement in the next few years. Most significantly, the heating system,
lighting system and the Victorian floors in the church are wearing out and
will have to be replaced very soon. This situation presents the PCC with a
unique opportunity to reconsider how the building is used and how it
should be arranged for the future. The PCC is determined that whatever
decisions are made, they are the right ones for the 21st Century.

"All the questions are for asking and all the answers are for seeking"

Those attending the meeting were welcomed by Rector Brian Curnew. He
expressed his love for the building: "St Laurence's has a very special place in
the life of Ludlow as both a place of worship, and as a venue for so many
events. We all feel an affinity with it, and when it is time to undertake
major repairs and renovations, we need input from all to help shape our
plans. All the questions are for asking and all the answers are for seeking".
The Rector and the other speakers stressed that the meeting was the
beginning of a process of consultation and that apart from the commitment
to undertake the repairs, there were at this stage no other proposals for the
building. The PCC Treasurer (Don Beattie) and the Clerk of Works (Shaun
Ward) set out some of the facts of the situation.

The Revd Andrew Mottram emphasised the need to establish the facts
before making any decisions about the future. "Everyone involved should
be fully informed about the building, its origins, history and development
through the centuries" he said. He commended the PCC for developing a
forward looking Asset Management Plan which will be incorporated into
the Conservation Management Plan, due to be completed in 2009. He
reminded the audience that church buildings have been subjected to
constant change and development through the ages. Although the exterior
perimeter walls of St Laurence's have changed little since their construction,
the interior of the building, its fixtures and fittings have been subject to
continual change and development. "Any re-arrangement of the interior
should be in response to its intended function, as a place of worship, and
also a significant venue for many other activities in the life of Ludlow and
the surrounding area" he said. The PCC wants to ensure that St Laurence's
is "fit for purpose" and has the facilities required in the 21st Century. Andrew
Mottram showed examples of re-ordered church interiors, all associated
with a major repair project.

The meeting was chaired by a Church Warden (Ewart Carson) who took
questions from the audience. The meeting concluded with him setting out
the next steps for action. These will involve extensive consultation with all
stakeholders in Ludlow and its surroundings. He invited those interested in
the future of St Laurence's to participate in the consultation process.
Full public consultation will begin in the New Year.

Letters of interest can be sent:

c/o Team Rector and Wardens
The Parish Office
No.2 College Street
Ludlow
SY8 1AN

or by email:

c/o Team Rector and Wardens

office@stlaurences.org.uk