Brighter future for Town Church to cost £200,000

But rector the Rev. Penny Graysmith said the church was only asking ratepayers to foot the bill for repairs as there was no other option.

Mrs Graysmith, along with property management board member Jane Kildahl, showed the Guernsey Press the extent of the work that was required on one of the church’s east-facing stained glass windows, as well as its failing lighting system.

‘It all needs to happen sooner rather than later before the situation gets worse, and more expensive,’ Mrs Graysmith said.

The remede for the church will be put forward to ratepayers at a parish meeting on Monday.

The window in need of repair is the only one of several on the eastern side of the church that have never been restored.

It was erected in 1949 in celebration of the island’s liberation.

The cost of repairing it will be approximately £85,000.

Mrs Graysmith said, being on the eastern side of the church, it had taken a battering from the weather over the years, and the final straw had been a storm earlier this year, which saw water leak through the stonework and lead on the edges of the window and flood the area below.

‘None of the other windows let water in, this was the only leaky one, and it’s also the only one that’s never been restored, so that tells you all you need to know.’

Mrs Kildahl said that the required work was ‘specialist’, but added local company Guernsey Glassworks would be able to undertake it.

She said scaffolding would need to be put up on both sides of the window, with each pane of glass and piece of lead being carefully removed and repaired before being reinserted.

Resealing work around the sides of the window would then take place using special sealants.

The pair were not able to say when the work would start should the remede be approved, but said it would take many months to complete.

Mrs Graysmith added work was being done with architects to ensure the church could be kept open to visitors while repairs took place.

‘How the church looks will be impacted, the opening times won’t be,' she said.

Mrs Kildahl said the lights were last replaced 15 years ago, but because of the pace of technological change, the church now found itself needing to replace them again because the current bulbs were largely obsolete.

‘We need to install an LED system, that will make us more sustainable, green, and will allow us to save on energy costs.’

Mrs Graysmith added a good lighting system was vital in highlighting the different parts of the church and ultimately attracting visitors.

‘The concerts and events that are held here are made all the more beautiful by the lighting, but in some areas it’s got noticeably darker.’

The estimated cost of replacing all of the lights is about £107,000, with insurance costs of about £10,000.

Mrs Graysmith repeated her insistence that the remede to ratepayers was purely about the upkeep of the building, with no money going towards the Christian ministry or running of the church.

‘The affection with which the building is held is remarkable really, it’s a place of comfort and receives incredible support.’

‘I just want people to understand the essential nature of this work.

'We would not be asking ratepayers to pay this much more if we didn’t absolutely have to.’

• The St Peter Port parish and church meetings are taking place at 7.30pm on Monday at Les Cotils.