🙏🏽 We need your help to cover the funding of a KC Opinion and review of a new Enforcement Report which is to be prepared with independent Heritage Advice and presented to the Runnymede Borough Council Planning Committee for consideration. 🙏🏽 

🌟 A major milestone was achieved last month where the council agreed a settlement to reconsider enforcement action with an independent Heritage Advisor under a High Court order. 🌟 

It is now critical to ensure that Planning Committee members are fully informed of the legal framework which protects listed buildings as well as what considerations can be given weight in enforcement decisions.

💪🏽 How You Can Help

We are not looking for a large sum - our target is £3,000 to cover the KC opinion and a further £2,000 for reviewing the final Enforcement Report by our KC. 

This is the first time we are asking for any funding for this case, having funded the Judicial Review directly. Any small amount you can donate would be very much appreciated and would cover the next crucial stage of this case. We want to make sure the legal protections are as secure as possible and establish a precedence for the protection of our historic assets. 

Please:

• Donate whatever you can
• Share this page widely
• Help us keep up the pressure

Thank you so much 🙏🏽

⚖️ What This Case Is About - and Why It Matters

Theresa Burton, a former local ward councillor for Runnymede Borough Council (RBC) and founder of Friends of Christ Church Longcross, launched a Judicial Review last December against the council arguing they failed in their duty to protect the heritage of a Grade II listed former church building which was noted to have beautiful stained glass windows. The heritage listing noted it was:

⛪ “an unusually complete mid C19 country church”.⛪ 

While planning permission was given to convert the former church building into five flats, we now have a disgraceful state of affairs where: 

• over 50% of the original Stained Glass has been lost,
• 100% of the remaining historic glass has been removed,
• none of the original stained glass is presented in its original state,
• Stained Glass compositions have been moved and severed of their original context,
• Stained Glass compositions have lost continuity and coherence with the introduction of thick floor plates,
• the use of thick uPVC frames has necessitated the Stained Glass to be cropped to fit,
• despite no materials condition approving the use of uPVC, all window frames and dormer siding are of this non-traditional, unsympathetic material contrary to Historic England guidance,
• the use of contemporary uPVC window frames introduces extraneous window ledges not in keeping with the original historic fabric,
• an incongruous rooflight has been introduced, and
• historic Bath stone surrounds have been plastered over.

RBC’s own Heritage Advisor stated:

“The works to the windows undertaken to date, go far beyond this approved scope.” 

and comments:

“The loss of traditional windows from historic buildings poses one of the major threats to our heritage. Traditional windows and their glazing, particularly to historic churches, make an important contribution to their significance.”

The two main reasons for bringing this claim were:

(i)        The protection of the heritage of this former church building for the benefit of the local community, its setting within the curtilage of the listed Lychgate and Churchyard Wall and the wider Longcross area, as one of only two listed buildings which would be within the boundary of the Longcross Garden Village.

but also importantly:

(ii)        The wider public benefit in testing the law around planning permissions for Listed Buildings. This was a critical test case of the law and one which is of relevance to the protection of heritage assets across the country and the precedent it would set.

Our case was represented by Alex Goodman KC of Landmark Chambers with Leigh Day acting as our solicitors.

After the High Court agreed to hear the Judicial Review on the majority of the grounds brought, Runnymede Borough Council agreed to a settlement which the High Court approved on 13 June 2025.

The High Court Order requires the Council to reconsider taking enforcement action in respect of breaches of planning control on the Grade II Listed former church within 3 months.

We are now launching this crowdfunding appeal to help support the next crucial step to provide a KC Opinion to the council on the specifics of enforcement action for Listed Buildings and reviewing the new Enforcement Report which will be prepared for Committee.

Thank you for any help you can give! 🙏🏽