CHURCH OF ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST, REPLACEMENT ROOF COVERING TO SOUTH AISLE HERITAGE IMPACT ASSESSMENT

Heritage Impact Assessment

1.0 INTRODUCTION

St. John the Baptist Church has suffered water ingress through its roof for a number of years but this has worsened recently and a lasting solution to solve this problem needs to be found so that the fabric and contents of the building can be preserved into the future for the enjoyment of many generations to come. This document has been prepared to support the proposal that the lead sheet covering to the south aisle be replaced by terne coated stainless steel with batten rolls.

2.0 SITE PARTICULARS

Corby was a small rural town north of Kettering which was hugely expanded as a new town in the 1960s, providing housing for the steelworks, creating a new town which now surrounds the old town. The church is located not far from the new shopping centre (1960s) surrounded by residential properties, with a roundabout at its south east corner pretty much onto the highway, with a waist high wall separating the high wall from the churchyard, which has a number of trees partially screening the church from the road. To the north are lime trees and the church hall and a grassed area public space.

The building is Grade II* Listed and it is in the Corby Village Conservation Area. The church itself dates back to the twelfth century but most of the fabric is thirteenth and fourteenth century and it comprises a nave, north and south aisles, a west tower and spire and south porch with a north vestry. The nave, chancel and south aisle are lead covered, the other parts of the building having various roof coverings, including terne coated stainless steel to the north aisle, re-covered (following theft) in 2017. The roof leaks are predominantly to the lead nave and south aisle roofs.

3.0 NEED FOR REPLACEMENT

There have been leaks for some years but these have worsened recently and it has become apparent that lead repairs are needed on a regular basis and that, consequently, the south aisle roof in particular has reached the end of its effective life and needs to be replaced. Not repairing the roof would have negative consequences which would include:

- Damage to the significance of the building. - Damage to the significance of the contents of the building. - Making the building unusable. - Loss of an important cultural asset for the community. - Loss of an important community facility in this part of Corby.

The lead sheets have worn over time and have become thinner and the lead batten rolls split and the lead fails at other locations where it has been bent tightly into sharp angles.

4.0 SIGNIFICANCE OF BUILDING AND ITS ROOF COVERING

St. John's Church as a whole is of Exceptional Significance, being one of only 21,768 Grade II* Listed buildings in and one of 368 in , a county renowned for its 'squires and spires'. The building as a whole achieves this Listing and in many ways it is the ensemble of the building's fabric and its site and setting which combine to deserve this grading at the heart of the community, whose once rural setting has been encroached upon by the new town and its roads close to the churchyard.

Replacement Roof Covering to South Aisle 1 Church of St. John the Baptist, Corby

Heritage Impact Assessment

The significance in terms of Architectural, Aesthetic and Artistic values is Exceptional, as is its Archaeological and Evidential significance. Its Historic and Communal significance is probably of Some significance, being locally important and, likewise, its Setting and Landscape significance is only of Some local significance.

The entire building is Listed, albeit some constituent parts may have less significance than others. Arguably the most significant parts of the building are its masonry carving/stonework, its stained glass, its monuments, headstone and tombs, its fixtures and fittings and other contents, and these constituent parts are all highly valued, these values being categorized differently as Evidential, Historical, Aesthetic, Communal, Architectural and Cultural. The key issue is how detrimental and harmful the proposed intervention and change will be to the significance and values of these features.

We acknowledge the significance of the lead sheet roof material and its removal should not be carried out lightly. If the proposal were to dramatically change the visual appearance of the roof covering and if it were more obviously on view we agree the case for its replacement with something new would be less easy to justify. Any harm caused by the proposed change in the roofing material will be very minimal.

5.0 ROOF COVERING OPTIONS

The current roofing materials under consideration for the leaking roofs to the nave and both aisles are:

1 Replace lead sheet with new lead sheet: Concern regarding vulnerability to theft, which is proven by the theft of the north aisle roof covering in 2016. A roof alarm was installed in 2018 to try to mitigate the possibility of further theft.

2 Terne coated stainless steel (TCSS) with batten roll joints similar to traditional lead: Requires Planning Permission/agreement from Local Authority and hence this application. Is more noisy that lead during rainfall.

3 Copper: Standing seams are inappropriate in this historical setting and it is a more obvious visual change than TCSS, being a different colour.

4 Zinc: Standing seams are inappropriate in this historical setting and it is a more obvious visual change than TCSS, being a different colour.

5 Slate: Roof pitches are too shallow.

6 Plain tile: Pitches are too shallow.

7 Single ply membrane: Inappropriate vapour impermeable solution can cause sweating of roof timber and consequent decay.

Replacement Roof Covering to South Aisle 2 Church of St. John the Baptist, Corby

Heritage Impact Assessment

8 Concrete tile: Too heavy for the current roof structure, which would need to be strengthened, and would impact negatively on the significance, and in any case would be too shallow for the current roof pitch.

6.0 POLICY AND PLANNING AUTHORITY

6.1 We have been advised by Corby Borough Council that a Non Material Amendment Planning Application is required. The view of the Local Planning Authority’s Case Officer was expressed in their Brian Hawkins’ e-mail of 5th August 2020:

“With regards to your enquiry regarding the replacement of the lead covered roof to the church, I fully understand the need to expedite the situation to avoid internal damage to the historic fabric of the Grade II* building, however I think it is necessary to submit a formal application, which following discussions with the senior planning officer could be within a Non Material Amendment application, which could result in a much speedier and simpler application, in terms of detailing and timescales. I am sure you understand and appreciate the importance of not only the internal fabric of the building itself, but also of the due process of the planning system and protection of our listed and ecclesiastical buildings.”

As a practising place of worship the church is exempt from Listed Building Consent.

Historic England are also being consulted simultaneously and their response will be copied to CBC on receipt.

The south aisle roof covering cannot be seen from anywhere at ground level - either in the churchyard or further afield.

We argue that, consequently, any change to the roof covering in an appropriate material would be 'de minimis' and that therefore Planning Permission, in whatever form it takes, should not reasonably be withheld by CBC.

6.2 The National Planning Policy Framework 2019 clause 189 states:

In determining applications, local planning authorities should require an applicant to describe the significance of any heritage assets affected, including any contribution made by their setting. The level of detail should be proportionate to the assets’ importance and no more than is sufficient to understand the potential impact of the proposal on their significance. As a minimum the relevant historic environment record should have been consulted and the heritage assets assessed using appropriate expertise where necessary. Where a site on which development is proposed includes, or has the potential to include, heritage assets with archaeological interest, local planning authorities should require developers to submit an appropriate desk-based assessment and, where necessary, a field evaluation.

6.3 NPPF Clause 196 requires applicants to demonstrate that where proposed harm will occur to the significance of a heritage asset, the harm is outweighed by the benefit to the community of the proposed works. We argue that the benefit to the community of having a fit-for-purpose communal building with a new watertight roof not being vulnerable to theft outweighs the small degree of harm of which there is very limited visibility of parts of the roof covering from selected viewpoints.

Replacement Roof Covering to South Aisle 3 Church of St. John the Baptist, Corby

Heritage Impact Assessment

6.4 We have identified the building to be of Exceptional significance, as its Grade II* Listing confirms, and note that less than substantial harm will be done to the heritage by the proposed change of roofing material from lead sheet to TCSS, which will not be visible from ground level.

7.0 JUSTIFICATION FOR TERNE COATED STEEL

7.1 The existing lead sheet roofs are past their economic lifespans and need to be replaced if damage to the historic fabric and its contents is to be avoided. The defects can be summarized as follows:

- Lead sheets have eroded and have become very thin and are hence susceptible to thermal movement causing splitting, evidenced by many lead burn repairs. - The hollow rolls are very tight and are prone to splitting along their lengths. - The widths of the sheets are too wide and so are prone to splitting and failure. - Signs of lead theft to the north aisle does show that this site is vulnerable to theft, even though it now has a roof alarm, the thieves presumably not having been put off by the close proximity of residential properties.

7.2 Lead is vulnerable to lead theft as evidenced by the number of similar churches which have suffered lead theft in Northamptonshire and in nearby and Rutland.

Recent lead theft from churches in Leicestershire is noted below (number of churches affected):

2020: 1 2019: 15 2018: 23 2017: 10 2016: 11 2015: 8 Total: 68

By comparison, Peterborough Diocese has seen thefts at 103 churches in the same period. Within this number in Northamptonshire, as a practice GSSArchitecture have been involved in roof repairs following lead theft at: Twywell, Fawsley, Dingley, Weekley, Desborough, Newnham, Corby, Brington, Draughton and Stoke Dry to name but a few. As at Corby, the churches are often at the centre of villages or towns. HE have suggested that installing alarms may help to prevent theft but we are aware of examples where the deterrent has not been sufficient to prevent such, for example at Sibbertoft, Welford, Marston Trussell and Kelmarsh Hall Entrance Lodge.

7.3 Historic England have advised that TCSS is the most appropriate alternative to lead in their letter of 21st October 2020 as follows:

“Terne-coated stainless steel is the most popular long-term alternative to lead and offers advantages over other options, including a similar appearance…….. ……. With regard to replacement with TCSS when the lead has not been stolen, …… ‘Where a lead roof on a church has reached the end of its life (as proven in the Quinquennial Inspection), the church has been subject to previous thefts and the risk of further theft is too high, we may support the removal and replacement of lead with an appropriate alternative material.’

Where the lead roof has reached the end of its life but the church has not been subject to previous thefts, an analysis of the risk of theft should be undertaken to inform the choice of replacement

Replacement Roof Covering to South Aisle 4 Church of St. John the Baptist, Corby

Heritage Impact Assessment

material. Factors such as number of thefts in nearby churches and extent to which the church is overlooked should form part of the analysis. Where the risk of theft is too high, it may be appropriate to consider TCSS as an alternative roofing material.

(We point out that at Corby there has been the north aisle lead theft so the risk here is proven and hence the PCC’s desire to replace it with an appropriate alternative material which is not attractive to thieves.)

In order to maintain similarity of appearance and performance with lead, we normally recommend that TCSS is laid with traditional round batten rolls. Further technical advice on TCSS can be found in our recently published advice note ‘Church Roof Replacement Using Terne-coated Stainless Steel’ (February 2020), which is also available to download from the above link.”

The above advice by Historic England supports our proposal and we trust will override any concerns that Corby Borough Council may have about terne coated stainless steel as an appropriate replacement for lead sheet causing harm to the church’s significance.

7.4 As indicated by Historic England, terne coated steel is very similar in appearance to lead and has similar divisions to lead and whereas those involved in such roofing work can distinguish between the two materials, we do not think the layman can do so and so is unlikely to notice the change from one to another.

7.5 The Corby local police have supported the proposal to replace lead with an alternative material, and their letter of 10th November 2016 ( soon after the theft of the north aisle roof lead ) states a number of relevant facts and issues :

The church provides quick access to the A43, A427 and A6116. The church is also visible from A427, Oakley Road in Corby which is a busy access route to the town. This makes it an attractive location for metal theft.

The north side of the church is vulnerable to theft. There have been 3 incidents of theft in the last 10 years. This is due to several reasons, one is down to the location of the Church; there is partial cover of the church by surrounding trees protecting the offenders from being seen easily.

In my opinion as a Police Officer of 9 years I believe that access to the church is also making it very vulnerable to such thefts. Access to the church allows a vehicle to be within 3 meters of the building. I would ideally recommend the installation of a security gate into the church car park as this would prevent any vehicle access. I am aware that this is not feasible as a right of way exists.

It is noted that the church has installed a roof alarm system and this will be a deterrent for repeated theft. However, we are unable to guarantee a priority police response to such an alarm. A contracted alarm response company will typically attend within 20 minutes. In my opinion this will provide sufficient time for some lead to be stolen.

Consequently, it is my opinion that the Church of St John the Baptist remains vulnerable to further lead theft and from a crime prevention perspective I would recommend replacing the stolen lead with an alternative material.

Church thefts are committed on a regular basis at different locations around the County due to the value of re selling lead. If the lead is replaced with an alternative material, the likelihood is that they

Replacement Roof Covering to South Aisle 5 Church of St. John the Baptist, Corby

Heritage Impact Assessment

will not want the new material as they will be unable to make sufficient funds by selling this. This would prevent the church having any more damage caused and the inconvenience of replacing the lead on a regular basis.

7.6 It has been suggested by Historic England that the installation of a roof alarm will prevent theft from church roofs but the PCC have been in discussion with the roof alarm specialist, who has advised that the response times after a theft alert is between 30 minutes and two hours, and so significant damage and theft can occur in time spans such as these and the custodians of churches such as St. John's do not want to risk the problems associated with such thefts, and by using a material unattractive to thieves such as TCSS they aim to avoid such.

8.0 HERITAGE IMPACT OF PROPOSED TERNE COATED STEEL ROOF

The harm to the building caused by the change of roof covering from lead to terne coated steel is outweighed by the benefit of having a roof which is watertight and is not vulnerable to theft. TCSS ‘has very low scrap value per square metre so it is not an attractive target for metal thieves’ (Historic England, 2020). We acknowledge that there is some minor damage to the significance of the heritage asset but that this is not great and that the impact is negligible. We therefore urge the Local Authority to support the application to change the roof material.

9.0 VIEWS FROM SURROUNDING AREAS

The photographs in Appendix C show the church roof from various view points to the south, both in the churchyard and from outside. It is evident that the lead roof coverings to the south aisle cannot be seen from the churchyard at all, nor from the other side of the maiin A427 road to the south.

10.0 CONCLUSION

We trust that it will be apparent from the above that, whereas we concede that there is a very limited degree of harm to the significance of the church by changing its roof covering from lead to terne coated stainless steel, this minimal harm is outweighed by the benefits of securing the building’s future from damage caused by water ingress by replacing it with a material which is not attractive to thieves. It is not possible to see the roof from ground level. We trust the Council, and any other consultees, will therefore be able to support this application and will approve our proposals which are to benefit the building and hence the community which it serves.

Replacement Roof Covering to South Aisle 6 Church of St. John the Baptist, Corby

Heritage Impact Assessment

Document Approval Prepared By William Assheton WFA/DMV/CH060A Approved and Authorised By R01

William Assheton 16th March 2021 Partner © Gotch Saunders & Surridge LLP

Chartered Architects • Lead Consultant • Quantity Surveyors

Replacement Roof Covering to South Aisle 7 Church of St. John the Baptist, Corby

APPENDIX A HISTORIC ENGLAND LISTING

Heritage Impact Assessment

CHURCH OF ST JOHN THE BAPTIST

Heritage Category: Listed Building Grade: II* List Entry Number: 1372547 Date first listed: 17-Mar-1953

Location Statutory Address: CHURCH OF ST JOHN THE BAPTIST, CHURCH WALK Statutory Address: CHURCH OF ST JOHN THE BAPTIST, WELDON ROAD The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority. County: Northamptonshire District: Corby (District Authority) National Grid Reference: SP 89837 88772

Summary

CORBY CHURCH WALK SP8988NE (East side) 18/9 Church of St. John the Baptist 17/03/53

GV II*

Church. Late C12, early C13, C14, datestone 1625, restored 1900. Regular coursed limestone with ashlar chancel, porch, tower and spire. Lead roofs. Aisled nave, chancel, south porch, vestry and west tower. South elevation of chancel of 2-window range of C14 two- and 3-light windows with reticulated tracery, one with lozenges. 2 blocked door openings. Shallow gabled roof with ashlar parapets and finial. Fine 4-light east window with reticulated tracery. North elevation of chancel has one 2-light window similar to south elevation and central gargoyle in parapet. C19 vestry is attached at right angles to chancel and has 3-light window with plate tracery in north gable. South aisle of 3-window range of 2-light windows with intersecting tracery. Lean-to roof with ashlar gable parapets. 3-light east window has intersecting tracery with cusping. Single-light west window. Gabled south porch between windows has chamfered and moulded outer arch with datestone 1625/IP, sundial and finial above. Porch has stone gabled roof supported internally by chamfered transverse ribs, rising from the ground and similar stone ridge member and purlins. C20 doors with stone surround inserted in outer arch. North aisle restored 1900 is of 3-window range of 2- and 3-light square-head windows with 2-stage buttresses between. Lean-to roof with ashlar parapets. Lancet window in west elevation. Nave clerestory of 3-window range of 2-light square-head windows. Shallow gable roof at same level as chancel has plain ashlar parapets. Decorated west tower of 3-stages with 5-stage angle buttresses at western corners. West door has chamfered and moulded surround. Blocked window opening above. Single-light window to south face. North face is only 2 stages with lower stage of coursed rubble. 2-light bell-chamber openings to each face of upper stage. Quatrefoil frieze. Broach spire with short octagonal pinnacles at each corner and pairs of carved heads at apex of broaches. 2 tiers of lucarnes. Interior: 3-bay nave arcade. 2 bays of south arcade are c.1200 with double chamfered arches, octagonal pier and responds with upright stiff-leaf capitals. The west bay is similar, added c.1300. North arcade is c.1900 with moulded and chamfered arches and octagonal piers. Double chamfered

Replacement Roof Covering to South Aisle

Church of St. John the Baptist, Corby P a g e | i Heritage Impact Assessment

chancel arch and chamfered tower arch, now blocked. Chancel roof may have C14 timbers, other roofs are C19. Triple, ogee headed, sedilia and piscina with cusping in the spandrels. Triangular headed tomb recess to left of altar has crockets and 2 orders of shafts. Trefoil head piscina in south aisle. Late C19 stone pulpit. Late C12 circular font with dogtooth arcading. Stained glass: north chancel window and centre north aisle window have fragments of medieval glass. 2 south chancel windows and one north aisle and two south aisle windows have early C20 glass probably all by Morris and Co.

Listing NGR: SP8983788772 Legal This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.

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Church of St. John the Baptist, Corby P a g e | ii

APPENDIX B EXTRACT FROM PEVSNER

Extract from Pevsner

TAKEN FROM: PEVSNER BUILDINGS OF ENGLAND: NORTHAMPTONSHIRE

ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST, Church Walk. The church for the original village. S arcade of two bays built c 1200. Octagonal pier, tall capitals with upright stiff-leaf. Pointed double-chamfered arches. About 1300 the W bay was added. Of c. 1300 the s aisle windows with cusped and uncusped intersected tracery, the S doorway, and the S porch. The porch is remarkable inside. It has later (see the former roof-line) chamfered transverse stone ribs rising right up to the roof and standing on chamfered stone posts along the W and E walls. In addition the ribs are connected, as if they were of timber, by a ridge rib and stone purlins. Much in the church is Dec, namely the W tower (tower arch with continuous mouldings, quatrefoil frieze below the spire, spire with low broaches - the charming pairs of little heads should be noticed - and two tiers of lucarnes), and the chancel (bar tracery with a spherical triangle in the head, reticulated and flowing tracery, SEDILIA and PISCINA with ogee arches). As Richard Marks has deduced from C17 records of heraldic glass formerly in the windows, the tower was built shortly after 1337 and the chancel between 1340 and 1350. The W face of the tower has shields either side of the doorway though these are much weathered and appear to be blank. Perhaps the heraldry was painted. In the chancel a large tomb-recess without an arch, just with a big crocketed triangular gable on short columns with fillets. A panel infill in its centre perhaps suggests it was an Easter sepulchre (cf. not dissimilar recess at Irthlingborough). N arcade and N aisle of 1902 by J.C. Traylen of Stamford. This is probably the date of the elaborate mosaic floor in the chancel. Its panelling dates from 1922-9, as does the vestry. - FONT. Circular, with six low dogtooth arches at the bottom of the bowl; C13 - STAINED GLASS. Fragments of canopies etc. in the chancel N and S windows and nave S aisle. Also a small panel of St Christopher. All c. 1340-50. - Several windows by Morris & Co., c. 1920, i.e. long after the deaths of Morris and Burne-Jones, chancel S and S aisle W. - The N aisle N window by J. Powell & Sons, 1902. - A chancel S window of 1904 and the N aisle W window of 1902 are both by Hardman & Co. S aisle E window by Pearce & Cutler, 1938. MONUMENT. Perp tomb-chest with coped roof and quatrefoil and shield decoration. In the churchyard, S of the church.

-o-o-o-

Replacement Roof Covering to South Aisle

Church of St. John the Baptist, Corby

APPENDIX C PHOTOGRAPHS

Photographs

Long distance view from south west Enlarged view from south west

View from south Enlarged view from south

View from south east Enlarged view from south east

Replacement Roof Covering to South Aisle

Church of St. John the Baptist, Corby Photographs

View in churchyard from west View in churchyard from south

View in churchyard from south east View in churchyard from east

Replacement Roof Covering to South Aisle

Church of St. John the Baptist, Corby

CHURCH OF ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST, CORBY REPLACEMENT ROOF COVERING TO SOUTH AISLE HERITAGE IMPACT ASSESSMENT

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