Fight the loss of over 50% of Grade II Listed Stained Glass Windows!
Fight the loss of over 50% of Grade II Listed Stained Glass Windows!
Latest: Sept. 5, 2025
Victory for Protecting and Preserving Built Heritage in Runnymede
Longcross, Surrey - Friends of Christ Church Longcross are very pleased to announce the successful outcome of their campaign to safeguard the “special architectural and artistic interest”, including …
Read more🙏🏽 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! 🙏🏽
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Friends of Christ Church Longcross
Sept. 5, 2025
Victory for Protecting and Preserving Built Heritage in Runnymede
Longcross, Surrey - Friends of Christ Church Longcross are very pleased to announce the successful outcome of their campaign to safeguard the “special architectural and artistic interest”, including the significant contribution of the historic Stained Glass and windows, of the former Grade II listed church building. The former church building, one of only two listed buildings in the Longcross area, was listed for its historic interest as “an unusually complete mid nineteenth-century church built in the Early English style under the provisions of the Patronage Act of 1831.”
After months of determined advocacy, we have secured a reconsidered Enforcement Decision by Runnymede’s Planning Committee that it is clear and unambiguous that the Listed Building planning breaches identified in the Built Heritage Advice are unauthorised, unlawful and enforceable.
The professional heritage advice of Place Services, the council’s heritage advisor, found the cumulative impact of the long list of harms of the unauthorised works to be very significant (of the “very highest end of the scale”) and recommended a series of remedies to mitigate those harms, including restoration and replacement with like-for-like materials where restoration is not possible.
The Place Services advice noted that the works undertaken went far beyond the approved scope and commented:
“The loss of traditional windows from historic buildings poses one of the biggest threats to our shared built heritage. Traditional windows and their glazing, particularly to historic churches, make an important contribution to an asset’s significance.
The pre-existing windows comprised metal frames containing leaded light windows and stained glass including original grisaille glass. They were of special architectural and artistic interest and made a considerable contribution to the significance of the designated heritage asset. They were an integral part of the design of the church and were important works of art in their own right; crafted with great skill and ingenuity with materials of a high quality.”
The Planning Committee voted in favour of the recommendation to negotiate with the developer and the heritage advisor, Place Services, for the remediation of the historic character of the former church building via a Listed Building Application.
An additional motion was passed that The Victorian Society and Historic England would be consulted on any future Listed Building Application.
Cllr Andrea Berardi, while not a member of the Planning Committee, spoke at the meeting to articulate the importance of built heritage:
“The evidence set out in advisory reports and council documents shows a pattern of unauthorised, damaging works to this Grade II listed building - actions that undermine the collective memory, character, and distinct sense of place that our historic churches bring to Runnymede. These landmarks are not merely old buildings; they provide continuity and meaning for past, present, and future generations.”
He also stated “The developer’s conduct in this conversion is indefensible. It is not the role of the council to hand hold the developer in their conservation efforts, it is the role of the developer to do their job and pay for appropriate historical consultants to tell them how to do things properly and this developer failed in this case. There are many church conversions that are very sympathetic and have support from The Victorian Society and Historic England”.
Theresa Burton, founder of Friends of Christ Church Longcross, comments:
“The long list of heritage harms to this historic building of special interest and significance is dismaying and shocking, and the Stained Glass windows were not just beautiful works of art, but an important part of our local history and identity - their vandalistic treatment was an appalling lack of duty of care by the developer. Tonight has been a significant step forward in reversing those harms.”
The Friends of Christ Church Longcross wish to express their deepest gratitude to everyone who contributed this success: to the over 2,000 supporters who signed our petition, to those who helped fund the campaign, to the heritage experts who shared their knowledge and expertise, to our counsel, Alex Goodman KC of Landmark Chambers, Jamie Beagent and Ellie Fawcett of Leigh Day, and for the support of Councillor Andrea Berardi.
Theresa Burton, Founder
Friends of Christ Church Longcross
Friends of Christ Church Longcross
Aug. 26, 2025
Reconsidered Enforcement Report to be decided at Planning Committee September 3
Many thanks to those who have supported our crowdfunding campaign on CrowdJustice!
We achieved the initial target of £3,000 to pay for a KC Barrister's Opinion which has been submitted to Runnymede Borough Council. Thank you!
As a result of meeting our initial target, CrowdJustice extended our campaign allowing us to fundraise an additional £2,000 which will go towards the cost of having our counsel, Alex Goodman KC of Landmark Chambers, review the Enforcement Report which will shortly be published in advance of the planning committee meeting.
As a reminder, this crowdfund is the first time in this long running case we have reached out to our supporters for any donations, having self-funded the Judicial Review claim. While the settlement to reconsider the Enforcement Report required the council to refund part of our costs, it did not cover the entire amount spent to bring the claim. All funds raised via CrowdJustice go directly to counsel for this next step.
Planning Committee September 3, 2025, 7pm
The reconsidered Enforcement Report will be presented, debated and decided at the next RBC Planning Committee meeting Wednesday September 3, 2025 at 7pm. The Planning Committee meeting will be live streamed and we will share the link when published.
In the news:
Recently The Victorian Society's Senior Conservation Adviser Connor McNeill was interviewed live on BBC Surrey Radio about the case - commenting on the "shocking" treatment of the Stained Glass and Historic windows as well as the inappropriate use of non-traditional uPVC frames.
You can listen to the interview, which also includes an interview with Theresa Burton, founder of Friends of Christ Church Longcross who brought the Judicial Review claim, here:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m002g61j
Interview starts at 2:48 mins in.
BBC Surrey news also covered the case in this article:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4gzr5x07k5o
and Surrey Live:
https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-news/runnymede-hit-17500-court-costs-32084929
🙏🏽 Thank you so much for your continued support and it is very much appreciated for any donations, large or small, to help with this final milestone before the reconsidered Enforcement Report is presented to the RBC Planning Committee next week. 🙏🏽
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